Noli Umquam Oblivisci
by snapefan520
Summary: Hermione Granger has made a big mistake, but unfortunately for her, she has no recollection of it other than the consequences down the road. Post DH, canon except Snape survives, EWE. Rated M just to be safe.
1. Prologue

_**Disclaimer...Everything belongs to the wonderful JK Rowling. I just play with the characters occasionally :)**_

_**A/N...Noli Umquam Oblivisci roughly translates to 'Never Forget'**_

* * *

Prologue

"Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Yes, I think it will be better for both of us. I don't normally drink that much, and, gods, I definitely don't...well, you know. I already feel very awkward talking to you, and I don't think I would feel comfortable running into you after this. And considering what we both do for a living, we would run into each other too often."

"I...agree. Are you ready?"

"Yes."

He waved his wand in a swirl, so that they were both hit with the spell.

"_Obliviate!"_

-ooOOoo-

Hermione woke up the next morning with a horrible headache. Just looking at the sun peaking through the windows was more than she could handle. She pointed her wand at the blinds and shut them quickly. She stumbled toward the toilet as quickly as she could, then retched violently.

_What did I do last night? I think I went to that new pub, but it...is...why can't I remember?_ She thought to herself. I_ must have had more to drink than I thought. Did I go alone or meet anyone there? Why can't I remember anything? _She tried to remember the details of last night, but other than going to the bar, she remembered nothing.

_I'm not doing that again anytime soon_, she thought to herself as she reached for a hangover potion.

* * *

_**A/N...So...I was going to wait until I came back from vacation to start this, but I have insomnia so here is a little teaser. I have the first three chapters written out, so more to come after I get back from the Wizarding World of Harry Potter with the family (yay me). So...next update will be in about a week and a half.**_

_**Unlike Like a Sister, I don't have this totally written out or outlined. I do have a good idea how I would like this to end, but it may change. I do anticipate it to be at least twenty chapters, but it might be quite a bit longer. We'll see.**_

_**This is just the prologue, and yes, it is short. I am hoping to have at least 1500 words or more per chapter from here on out.**_

_**The wand swirl double obliviate is mine. I don't remember ever reading in canon that you can self obliviate, but I needed it for this story. **_

_**Reviews are always appreciated!**_


	2. Chapter 1

_**The usual disclaimer applies...**_

_**A/N...You are getting this chapter early. I was supposed to be on vacation right now, but we had to postpone it because my son broke his elbow. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter will now have to wait at least 6 weeks.**_

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Chapter 1

What the hell?

It had been two months since Hermione's hangover incident, as she would later call the experience. She had, indeed, learned her lesson and had not visited a pub since her night of over-indulgence. In fact, it had scared her from drinking all together.

She sat at her desk, reading the latest stack of applications for potion patents. She worked in the Ministry Patent Office, in the sub-department of Potions Patents. She really did not like her job, but it was the only potions-related job in the ministry that was available. She had only finished her two year potions apprenticeship with Professor Snape six months ago, but there were no research positions available at that time. And she definitely did not want to teach. She got along well with Professor Snape now, but having him for five years as a potions professor totally soured her opinion of teaching.

"Not another one," she muttered to herself. This was the third variation of a Wolfsbane potion that had come through the office in less than a week. The patent of the original had just expired, and every would-be potions maker was turning in variations of the original potion, trying to make it just different enough to get a new patent. None of them were different enough to get a new patent, but they were just different enough from the original to not actually work. She was so engrossed in her work that she didn't realise that someone was walking towards her desk.

"Hermione!"

She jumped as she noticed Harry standing in front of her desk. "Gods, Harry, don't sneak up on me like that. I would have hexed first and asked questions later."

"I'm sorry," he said with a grin on his face. "Are you ready to go to lunch?"

"Yes. Just let me put this patent application in the rejected file first."

Hermione and Harry had been going to lunch once a week ever since she started at the ministry. He had joined the auror program right after the end of the war, and had worked at the ministry for almost three years. They were excited to be working in the same building, and their lunch breaks had turned into something important for both of them. They both were so busy, this was one of the few chances they got to catch up with each other.

"So, Hermione, where would you like to go today?"

"I'm not sure, Harry. I had a stomach virus a few days ago, and I still am not totally myself. It really doesn't matter since I probably won't eat much. How about that new Italian restaurant in Diagon Alley? I know you love Italian food, and I can get a salad."

They apparated to the restaurant, and had only been seated for a few minutes, when the smell of the lasagna hit Hermione. She apparently wasn't over the stomach virus like she had thought. Harry looked over at her as she turned slightly green and covered her mouth.

"Hermione, are you okay?"

"No. Harry...I need to-" she quickly stood up, then ran towards the loo before she could finish answering Harry.

She barely made it to the toilet before she vomited. _Why am I still not over this blasted stomach virus_, she thought to herself. _It has been more than a week!_

She rinsed her mouth out and straightened her robes before she headed out the door.

"Hermione, are you sure you are okay?" The concern was obvious in his tone of voice.

"Yes, Harry. I think my stomach still is unsettled after having that stomach flu. I thought after a week I would be fine, but I guess I was wrong. I feel fine now, though. In fact, I almost feel a little hungry."

"Maybe you can find something on the menu with ginger in it. Ginny swears by ginger for getting rid of nausea. It's helped her morning sickness tremendously," he paused, then added with a smirk, "You know, if I didn't know better, I'd swear you were pregnant. Stomach viruses rarely last longer than just a few days. But you would have to have a boyfriend, or at least a social life, for that to be a possibility."

"Ha, Ha...Harry. You know as well as I do that I don't have anyone in my life right now. But you are right about the stomach viruses. I should be well by now. I'll go to St. Mungo's if I don't feel better in a few days."

-ooOOoo-

The end of the week came, and Hermione still wasn't better. In fact, she was worse. The random bouts of nausea had turned into all day spells of vomiting. She was weak from being so sick, and had even started to lose weight. She reluctantly made an appointment at St. Mungo's, hoping she didn't have anything serious or life threatening.

She had just sat down in the waiting area when the healer called her back.

"Hello Ms. Granger. I am Healer Thomas. What seems to be the problem today?"

She proceeded to tell her all about the stomach virus, the nausea, and the exhaustion from being so violently ill. The healer listened intently, then smiled at Hermione as she spoke.

"I am going to perform a few diagnostic spells on you, although I think I know what may be going on. I need you to lie down while I perform these, Ms. Granger."

Hermione watched as the healer did some quiet incantations, then passed the wand over her stomach and abdomen. A silver glow appeared over her abdomen, and the healer watched it dissipate before she started writing down some notes.

"Just like I suspected, Ms. Granger, but the nausea is a little worse than usual. But I can get you a potion for that."

"What is wrong? Am I going to be okay?" she asked, panic obvious in her voice.

"Nothing is wrong, Ms. Granger. You are pregnant. Almost ten weeks, and the baby seems very healthy."

Hermione sat up quickly, the shock was evident on her face.

"Pregnant? How can I be pregnant? I haven't had...er...been intimate with anyone in almost a year!"

-ooOOoo-

Hermione paced across the room in her flat, thinking about all the healer had said. She was definitely pregnant; she had made the healer run the diagnostic two more times just to be certain. She thought back to all that had gone on in her life the past ten weeks, and realised that pregnancy definitely fit the bill for all her symptoms. She had missed two cycles, but had chalked it up to stress and the fact that she was irregular most of the time, anyway. But then that also made her realise that pregnancy had never even occurred to her as a possibility. It had been months since she had been on a date, and longer than that since she had sex...or so she had thought.

_How can I be pregnant? I haven't had sex with anyone! I would remember if I had sex_, she thought to herself. Ron had been the last person she was intimate with, and that had been almost a year ago, right before they had broken up. She had dated since then, but had never been serious enough with any of them to have sex.

She stopped pacing as she suddenly remembered something. That morning two months ago; the morning she had the hangover. The night at the bar she couldn't remember.

_What have I done?_

* * *

_**A/N...The idea for a potions patent office is slightly borrowed. I honestly can't remember which fic I read it in (I have read waaay too many really good fics), but I borrowed it and slightly changed it. I created a office for patents of all kinds...spells, charms, potions...and Hermione works in a sub-department. **_

_**I know the whole 'Hermione's pregnant, but doesn't remember' is kind of cliché, but I am hoping to put a bit of a spin on it in this story. Please give it a chance :)**_


	3. Chapter 2

_**The usual disclaimer applies...**_

_**A/N...I've found out that the potions patent office credit belongs to 'Facilitating Change' by Aurette (who is one of the best fanfiction authors...check her out), and 'Something like Love' by Isis and Neit (thank you, RawenclawBabe, for the author's name). I hope that other than the idea of that office in the ministry, I have not taken or borrowed any ideas that are not original to me.**_

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Chapter 2

Awkward Encounters and Conversations

_Pregnant. With child. Knocked up. Up the duff._ She snorted slightly as she thought to herself what would be said about her. Although single parenthood was quite common in the muggle world, it was still a novelty in the magical one. She would probably be encouraged to have a quick 'wand-point' wedding to avoid a scandal. Too bad she had no idea who the father was, so a wedding was definitely out of the question. _Not that I'd marry someone I didn't really know, anyway, _she thought to herself.

She looked down at her stomach and rubbed her hands gently across, knowing that she still really didn't look pregnant. She wondered whether she should cast a glamour when she started to show, or just let everyone see her stomach grow and just deal with the consequences. _At least I have another couple of months to figure all this out before anyone figures out that I am pregnant._

She arrived at work almost ten minutes late, but thankfully, everyone else was too distracted with their own work to notice. The morning sickness had hit her full force this morning, and she was late despite giving herself an extra hour to get ready. She spent almost that long in the loo revisiting her breakfast.

She pulled out the file on love potions, and groaned out loud when she realised how many she would have to look at today. She was just ready to reject the first absurd one when a voice interrupted her.

"Good morning, Miss Granger. And what worthless drivel will you be rejecting today? Hmm?" She would recognize that voice anywhere, after listening to it for most of the past ten years. He leaned over her desk, trying to steal a glance at her stack of patent applications.

"Love potions," she sighed in frustration. "The first one I have already rejected. Apparently, this person thinks by doubling the Ashwinder eggs, the love potion will last longer." She shook her head at the idiocy of the patent application. "Any _decent_ potioneer would know that you never increase the Ashwinder eggs unless you are wanting to increase the potency. Um...not that I would have to tell you that."

She finally looked up from her paperwork to look at him in the face. He had his typical smirk, but she could also see amusement in his eyes. Only after working with him as an apprentice was she finally able to understand him. He still could be a right bastard, but that was usually to just his students. She learned during her apprenticeship that he could be an excellent conversationalist, and he had a wonderful sense of humor on the rare occasion that you were able to see it.

"So what brings you by the Ministry Patent Office today, Professor? I thought you had an OWL level class this morning."

"I have been working on a potion for St. Mungo's, and they were hoping that I would have some _influence_ in this department to help expedite it." He emphasized the word influence, and then continued, "Minerva asked Slughorn to cover today while I am here. I dread to see what damage he lets the little cretins do to the lab today." He proceeded to hand her the patent application.

"I should be able to look at it no later than tomorrow, if that is soon enough, Professor. I only have to-," she stopped as a sudden wave of nausea hit her. She debated for only an instant whether she would have enough time to run quickly to the loo, then realised that she would not. She barely had time to grab the small rubbish bin under her desk before what little was left of her breakfast came back up.

"I am so...sorry, Professor. I...gods...I am so embarrassed." She mumbled somewhat incoherently.

He stared at her for a moment with a look of puzzlement before he finally responded. "I am not offended, Miss Granger, but why, pray tell, did you come to work if you are unwell?"

_Oh gods, what do I say_, she thought, slightly panicked. She hadn't planned on disclosing her pregnancy, yet, and Severus Snape wasn't even close to the top of the list that she would tell first. _I need to come up with something...fast._

"I was not unwell when I left my flat. However, now that I think about it, perhaps the eggs were spoilt and I probably should have thrown them out." _There...hopefully that is convincing enough._

He looked at her uncomfortably before he spoke. "Well, I must be heading back to Hogwarts before my classroom is totally unrecognizable. I hope you feel better soon, Miss Granger. Good Day."

"Goodbye, Professor."

-ooOOoo-

Hermione stumbled out of the floo that evening, and immediately toed off her shoes and headed towards the bedroom. She was so tired that she didn't even change clothes before falling into bed. As exhausted as she was, she couldn't sleep. She couldn't help but think of how disastrous her day had been. She had gotten sick in front of Professor Snape, then later on had to leave during the middle of a meeting to be sick again. She counted on having a couple of months before she started showing, but what she didn't count on was her morning sickness giving her away. She knew she was almost out of time before she had to admit her pregnancy.

She awoke the next morning extremely nauseous, and was thankful that it was Saturday and she didn't have to go to work. She nibbled on some crackers and then tried to go back to sleep for a while longer. She had just about fallen back asleep when she heard a voice coming from the floo.

"Hermione? Hermione are you there?" Harry's voice carried loudly, all the way into her bedroom.

Hermione jumped up quickly, realising she was still wearing her clothes from yesterday. She knew she looked a mess, and it did not help that she was still quite nauseous.

"I'm here, Harry. What do you need?" The irritation was obvious in her voice. "I have a had a rough night, and I don't really feel very good this morning."

"I'm sorry to bother you Hermione, but I talked to Jenkins yesterday, and he said that you had been sick at work yesterday. I just wanted to check on you, that is all."

Hermione took a deep breath, then spoke softly to Harry. "Come on through. I had planned on talking to you today, so I might as well do it now."

She walked towards the sofa and motioned for him to come join her.

"Harry, there is something I really need to tell you, and I don't know where to start. I guess it goes back to our lunch earlier in the week. I...er...still was unwell after our lunch. In fact, I have been a lot worse. I did finally go to St. Mungo's a couple of days ago." She twisted her already wrinkled shirt in her fingers and then bit on her bottom lip, having a hard time continuing the conversation.

"Hermione, you are scaring me. What is wrong?"

"I'm pregnant, Harry. And I am terrified."

"What? I was just joking when we were at lunch. I didn't think you had even been on a date recently, Hermione."

"Harry...that is just it. I haven't been on a date in months. Other than a night I over-indulged at a muggle bar a couple of months ago, I haven't even been out. I am ashamed to say this, but I don't even have a clue who the father is. I don't remember anything about that night at the bar. It is almost like the whole memory is just gone. I must have had quite a bit to drink that night." She knew her face was flushed, yet in a way it felt good to confess this to Harry.

"Merlin, Hermione. I don't know what to say. How far along are you? Are you going to keep the baby?"

"I am almost eleven weeks, and I think I am going to keep the baby. Terminating just isn't an option I am comfortable with, and I haven't really thought about adoption. I didn't want to have a baby at this point in my life, but I don't think I could really give the baby up, either."

Harry leaned over and gave her a hug as he spoke gently to her. "I promise I will be here for you. If it is okay, I will tell Ginny. She would love someone to share all the joys of pregnancy with."

"That would be fine, Harry. But don't tell anyone besides Ginny. I am just not ready for anyone to know yet, okay?"

"I promise, Hermione." Harry paused, deep in thought, before he continued. "Do you want to know who the baby's father is, Hermione? I am not going to pressure you, but you can borrow my pensieve if you would like to know what happened that night. You might not remember it, but it should still be there in your mind."

Hermione thought for a moment, then replied. "Harry, I honestly don't know. It was a muggle bar, and most likely it was someone I will never see again. I'm not so sure I want to know, but I'll let you know if I change my mind."

She gave Harry a big hug as he walked towards the floo to leave. Discussing the pregnancy had made her feel a lot better about the situation, but on the other hand, it gave her a lot to think about.

_Hmm...do I really want to find out who the baby's father is?_

* * *

_**A/N...My longest chapter ever. I am proud of myself. I promised myself after Like a Sister that I would try to make longer chapters. **_

_**Updates will be less often right now. My son has a broken arm, and I am working one-handed after stabbing my hand (accidently) with a large shard of glass from a broken mirror. I haven't even started the next chapter yet, so I'm imagining my updates will be closer to weekly than the twice a week I have been updating.**_


	4. Chapter 3

_**As usual...it all belongs to the talented JKR. I make nothing from this.**_

_**It has been in the 90s the past few days...so too hot to do anything except write furiously. So enjoy this a few days early...**_

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Chapter 3

St. Mungo's

Hermione sat down at her desk and glanced down at the neat and tidy file sitting in front of her. She had spent the majority of the weekend working researching the patent application information for Professor Snape. It really was an amazing potion, assuming the trials at St. Mungo's would be successful. It was a memory potion to recover memories that were either wiped out from overuse of the cruciatus curse or obliviates. The patent application was for experimental testing only, and had to be tested thoroughly at St. Mungo's before it would be given full patent status.

She put the file aside, and began working on a stack of healing potions patent applications. Every few minutes she would glance at the file on the corner of her desk. _He should be arriving at any moment,_ she smiled as she had that thought, _I better be prepared._

She was just finishing her third patent application when she heard the familiar voice. "I do hope you are actually well today, Miss Granger. I'd rather not have a repeat of Friday's visit." She blushed slightly as she remembered getting sick in front of him.

"Hello, Professor. I feel much better today. I did have time to work on your potions application this weekend." She handed him the approved patent as she continued, "I looked at the theory and research you noted on the application, and saw no reason not to give it approval for testing. It looks very promising, and it would help many people with left over issues from the war if it was successful."

"Yes...well, thank you, Miss Granger."

She knew that he did not like any type of public praise or adoration, and from working with him for the past couple of years, she knew that she had embarrassed him.

"Professor, if you don't mind, I would love updates on the progress and testing of the potion. I...er...," she stuttered slightly as she tried to finish her thoughts, "I was thinking that it might help my parents."

She thought back to the obliviates she cast on her parents before she went on the horcrux hunt with Harry and Ron. Despite her best effort and over a year of research, she was never able to restore their memories. They still lived in Australia, totally oblivious to their previous life.

"Of course, Miss Granger. I must be heading back to Hogwarts. I have first years in one hour, and I will need all that time to mentally prepare for the little miscreants. Good Day."

She watched him head out the door, thankful that the she didn't shed the tears forming in her eyes. Even mentioning her parents had upset her greatly, and she was so hopeful that this potion could possibly help them. She had only told Professor Snape about her parents about halfway through her apprenticeship. They had never discussed the war, but she had finally gotten comfortable enough around him to ask him how he had survived Nagini's bite. This lead to a discussion about what had happened the year she was on the run. It was a pivotal moment in their working relationship to be so open about the war, and it was this conversation that had progressed their relationship from mere apprentice and master to a friendship of sorts.

-ooOOoo-

Hermione sorted through her wardrobe, trying to find one of the two loose robes that still fit her. It had been almost a month since she found out she was pregnant, and so far she had been able to hide it from her co-workers successfully. Her morning sickness was starting to go away, but now she was having a hard time finding clothes that actually fit.

She looked in the mirror before she put her robes on. Her blouse was very tight against her now larger breasts, and she had used an elastic hair band to loop through her pants since they would no longer button. She really didn't look pregnant yet, just podgy, as she turned different angles to look in the mirror. She threw on her robes and took one last look at herself in the mirror. _Maybe I can go another couple of weeks before anyone notices that I'm pregnant._

She glanced at the clock, noticing she would be late if she didn't step into the floo within the next few minutes. She had dreaded today for the past week, it was just another reminder of the mistake she had made almost three months ago. She quickly tossed the floo powder and said, "St. Mungo's."

She quickly walked to the appointment sign-in desk, and signed her name as quickly as possible. She walked towards the waiting area, hoping that she would not see anyone she recognized. She had just picked up an old copy of _Witch Weekl_y to read when her name had been called.

"Hello, Ms. Granger. Do you mind if I call you Hermione since we will be seeing each other quite a bit the next six months?"

"Er...um...that is fine. I'm sorry, I'm just a little nervous." Hermione spoke softly as she sat on the exam table.

"My name is Healer Smythwick, and I'll be your assigned healer and midwife until you deliver. I'm assuming this is your first pre-natal visit since you found out you are pregnant?"

"Yes. I'm embarrassed to say that I didn't know I was pregnant until I was ten weeks. So...um...yes, this is the first visit."

"That is okay. Many first time mums don't realise they are pregnant immediately. From looking at your chart, you should be about fourteen weeks. I can tell you the sex of the baby this visit when I do the diagnostic spell, if you would like to know."

"Oh...I didn't realise that you could tell this soon." Hermione was a little startled. She had tried not to think about the pregnancy too much so far, but learning the gender of the baby would make it very real. She was unsure whether she was ready to know, but she blurted out a quick "yes" without really thinking it through.

She laid back and watched the healer cast the diagnostic spells on her abdomen. She watched the familiar gray appear above her, but then with another swish, she heard a faint, but rapid thumping noise.

"Is that...is that the baby's heartbeat?"

"Yes. It is very fast at this stage of pregnancy, almost 150 beats per minute, which is on the higher range of the normal scale. There is an old wives' tale that girls have faster heart beats than boys. Let's see if that is true in this case." She quickly cast another spell over Hermione's stomach and watched as a white orb appeared and then turned a very pale pink.

"You are having a baby girl, so it appears to be true this time."

Hermione sat herself up and simply stared into space for a moment. A daughter. She could see a little girl with curls like her own. She wondered for a brief moment what characteristics she would get from her father, but quickly dismissed those thoughts. She didn't want to go down that road at the moment.

"I am finished with the exam, Hermione, and I will be back in a few minutes with a script for your prenatal potion. It can be filled at the apothecary, or it can be made easily if you wish to just purchase the ingredients."

She was quite distracted as she left the clinic portion of St. Mungo's. She was still deep in thought thinking about the pregnancy when she ran into a wall of solid black. She started to fall backwards until a hand grabbed her wrist and pulled her upright. Apparently the wall of black was Professor Snape.

"Oh...Professor. I am so sorry! I was deep in thought and not paying attention to where I was going." She knew she was mumbling, but she was so embarrassed running straight into him like that. "What are you doing at St. Mungo's?"

"Surely you have not forgotten that I have potions trials, already, Miss Granger. You approved the patent yourself not even a month ago." He looked down at her with his crossed arms, and gave his best Snape smirk.

"Yes...of course. I-," but she was interrupted by a voice calling her in the distance. She turned towards the voice to realise the receptionist from the clinic was walking towards her with a piece of parchment in her hand.

_Oh, gods_, she thought. _I forgot to get my prenatal potions script_. _Please, please don't let her say anything about the pregnancy._ Before she could even say a word to the woman, she spoke to Hermione.

"I'm glad I was able to catch you, Miss Granger. You forgot your prenatal potions script in the exam room."

Hermione took the script, and stared at it. She was too mortified to even say thank you. She prayed silently to every deity that Professor Snape wasn't still standing right next to her. She slowly turned towards him to see him staring at her stomach.

"You...you're pregnant, Miss Granger?" He spoke in a tone far softer than she was used to hearing from him.

"I...I have to go. Good day, Professor Snape." She literally ran towards the floo, not wanting to deal with the situation.

She knew she was being a coward, but she couldn't deal with seeing disappointment on her Professor's face. She spent two years working towards her potions mastery, and now she would be staying home changing nappies. She would go home and try to think things through before she had to go back to work.

* * *

_**A/N...My own OB told me about the old wives' tale about the baby's heartbeat. It was never correct for any of my kids. My daughter had the slowest heartbeat of all three of them (I also have two boys). But I threw it in, anyway.**_

_**I honestly have no idea how long this story will be. I keep getting ideas for sub-plots in my head almost daily. At least I already know how it will end :)**_


	5. Chapter 4

_**The usual disclaimer applies...**_

_**A/N... Again, this is up sooner than I thought. Occassionally good things come from insomnia.**_

_**I know this chapter is a little shorter than my goal length, but hopefully quality makes up for quantity :)**_

* * *

Chapter 4

Memories

Hermione had immediately floo'd back to her flat, and sat on her sofa with tears in her eyes. She had sent an owl to her supervisor at the ministry to let the department know that she was sick and would not be returning to work. She just couldn't deal with work after running into Professor Snape at St. Mungo's. She had not been ready to expose her pregnancy to anyone, and definitely not to her former professor in the middle of St. Mungo's. Her pregnancy was no longer a secret, and she shuddered at that thought. Most likely Professor Snape wouldn't say anything to anyone; she at least had learned enough from working with him to assume that much. But he wasn't the only one in the hall at St. Mungo's when the receptionist ran out with her script...anybody could have heard the announcement. She realised the idea of a glamour was not a possibility anymore, and she had to tell her co-workers about her pregnancy, sooner rather than later.

_But what if someone asks about the father? Oh, gods, how I am going to explain that?_ Her mind was reeling, and she now realised that maybe she should borrow Harry's pensieve. It was bad enough to be a single mother, but it was downright scandalous to not know the identity of the baby's father. Maybe if she watched the memory of what happened that night, she could come up with a plausible story when she told of her pregnancy at work.

She now had a plan. She would floo Harry when he got off work, and borrow the pensieve. Once she knew all the facts, she would tell everyone about her pregnancy. Surely she could come up with a nice, tragic tale of why the father wouldn't be involved in either of their lives.

-ooOOoo-

"Harry? Harry, are you home yet?" She still did not like the dizzy feeling of floo calling, and pregnancy just made it worse. She was hoping he'd answer quickly so she could either step through or remove her head from her own floo.

She was surprised when Ginny was the one to answer her. "Hi Hermione. Harry just got home, and he is changing out of his auror robes. Come on through and he'll be down in just a few minutes."

Hermione looked at Ginny as she stepped through the floo. Ginny was now almost eight months pregnant, and she practically glowed. Pregnancy obviously agreed with her, and Hermione hoped that she looked that good once she was further along in her own pregnancy.

"Ginny, you look great. How much longer do you have? Harry told me you are having a boy...do you have a name picked out yet?"

"I have five more weeks if I make it until my due date, but I hope to go a little early like mum did with most of us. And yes, we are having a boy. We have agreed to name him James Sirius, for obvious reasons."

"I really like the name, Ginny." Hermione tried to smile at Ginny as she answered, but it was a forced smile. She knew that Ginny could read her like a book, and she was mentally preparing herself for the barrage of questions.

"How are you feeling, Hermione? I know that something is wrong. Is it the baby?" Ginny already had perfected Molly's 'mothering' tone, and she smiled sincerely at Hermione as she talked.

"Physically, I am fine...we are fine. Emotionally...well, that is another story. That is actually why I am here." Before she could continue, Harry had come down the stairs.

"Hermione!" He gave her a gentle hug as he met her at the bottom of the stairs. He pulled away and noticed her tear-streaked face. "What is wrong? I noticed you didn't come back to work after your healer appointment, and today was our usual lunch date." He gave her a concerned look as he continued, "There isn't anything wrong with the baby, is there?"

"Oh, Harry," she spoke hesitantly, "I'm fine...and the baby is fine. _She_ is actually doing quite well." She patted her stomach as she spoke.

"A girl...that is wonderful. Then what is wrong?"

She sat down in a chair and proceeded to tell Harry and Ginny about her midwife appointment and then her run-in with Professor Snape at St. Mungo's.

"So that is why I am upset. It isn't a secret any more, and I need to come up with a way to disclose my pregnancy before the gossip starts. But I realised that I can't tell about my pregnancy until I know more about that night...about the baby's father. Even if I can't identify him, I still need to know what happened. Can I still borrow your pensieve?"

"Of course. Would you like me to get it now?"

"Yes, and I might need your help as well. I know how you are supposed to remove a memory, in theory, but I don't know exactly what to do since I have never done it before."

-ooOOoo-

Hermione looked down at the pensieve, then back again at Harry. A look of uncertainty was on her face. _You can do this, Hermione. You have to do this._

"Just place the wand tip at your temple, and focus on the memory of that night. Anything and everything that you remember. Then gradually pull the memory out and put it in the pensieve." It was obvious that Harry had given these instructions many times before while working for the auror office.

Hermione pulled the long silver thread-like memory and gently placed it in the pensieve. She watched the memory swirl for a moment before she lowered her head to enter the memory. She observed her memory-self getting dressed for the evening, then watched herself apparate to an alley outside of the bar. She saw herself open the door to the bar, then the memory quickly became foggy and ended. Ater a few seconds, the fog ended and then she saw herself waking up with the hangover she remembered all too well.

"What the hell?" She spoke loudly as she pulled her head out of the pensieve.

"What's wrong, Hermione!" Concern was evident in Harry's voice.

"There is no memory. It disappears as I enter the bar. I guess I … I didn't remove it correctly."

Harry had an unnerving suspicion, but he wouldn't share it with Hermione till he knew for sure. "Do you mind if I look at the memory? I might be able to see what went wrong."

Hermione nodded, then watched Harry submerse himself in her memories. As he raised his head, he swore loudly.

"Bloody hell! You can't remember what happened because there aren't any memories of that night!"

"I already told you I was drunk, Harry. That-."

"No, Hermione. I know you were drunk, but there should still be memories of that night, even if they are fuzzy or incomplete. The fog in the memories shouldn't be there...it indicates that your memories were tampered with. I am almost certain that you were obliviated!"

"No! That can't be...," her shoulders started shaking as she started to cry.

Her mind started racing as she realised the ramifications of what Harry had just told her. She knew that she didn't have the capability to obliviate herself. Self-obliviates were notoriously complicated, and very few witches or wizards ever attempted them. That meant she was most likely obliviated by a witch or wizard sometime after she entered the bar.

She started to shake as the facts slowly started to add up. The only time she could have gotten pregnant was that night at the bar, and she was obliviated sometime after her one night stand. She looked at Harry and her mouth gaped when everything clicked. _The baby's father wasn't a muggle, he was a wizard._

* * *

_**A/N... I struggled with this chapter, and have re-written parts of it numerous times, and mostly at 1 in the morning. I hope it reads okay.**_

_**As always, leave a review and tell me what you think. Since this isn't a completed story, you can even make suggestions. I might even use some of them ;)**_


	6. Chapter 5

_**As usual...I don't own any of this. My bank account really, really wishes I did...**_

_**A/N...Just a note. A little birdie told me that things might be a changin' on this site. If for any reason my story (even though it is a mild 'M' rating) disappears, I will update my profile page to let everyone know where else I might be posting. Just sayin' ...**_

Chapter 5

Nightmares

Hermione sat up quickly, realising she was drenched in sweat. This was the third night in a row she had a nightmare about that night in the bar. Each night, it was a different dark wizard that had caused her to scream and then wake up suddenly. Although realistically she knew that all of the deatheaters had either been killed, locked in Azkaban, or kissed by a dementor, it didn't stop the nightmares that she had been having. Ever since she found out that she had been obliviated, she had been horrified about the possibilities of who could be her baby's father. Even though there was a very good chance that it was just a random wizard, the fact that she was obliviated made her think it could be a deatheater. What horrified her even more was the possibility that the sex had not been consensual.

She looked down and gently rubbed her belly, trying her best to remember that the baby was her daughter; the daughter she was already learning to love. She tried to convince herself that it did not matter who the father was, that she would love her daughter no matter what.

She arrived at her office, and tried to start working immediately. She was so exhausted from lack of sleep that she didn't want to talk to any co-workers today. She wanted to bury herself in her work, and not stop except to eat a small lunch, then work furiously until it was time to go home. Unfortunately, she was not going to be so lucky today.

She had just settled in to look at the rather large stack of paperwork when a very familiar voice startled her.

"Miss Granger"

_Damn_, she thought to herself as she looked up to gaze at the very familiar black eyes. Of all the people to have to run into today, it had to be him.

"Um...Hello, Professor." She realised her voice was almost an octave higher due to how nervous she was at the moment.

"Pardon me for saying this, but you look like hell. I take it that the young Mr. Weasley isn't too excited about being a father?"

"Not that it is any of your business, but the baby isn't Ron's," she replied coldly. "I have a lot of work to do, so what is it that you need me to do for you today, _Professor_." Even though she got along much better with Professor Snape now, she was furious that he had crossed this line with her. She tried to force as much anger as possible into her words, when all she really wanted to do was go home and cry.

His eyes softened and the smirk was now gone as he replied to her. "Forgive me, Miss Granger. You are correct...your pregnancy is none of my business." He quickly returned to Professor mode as he continued. "I am here about the potions trials at St. Mungo's. The initial results are promising, and I wanted to let you know since you previously inquired about it."

"Thank you, Professor. I am sorry I snapped at you. I haven't felt very good the past few days, and I am sorry that I took it out on you. I...I appreciate you giving me an update on the potion."

"Good bye, Miss Granger." He started to turn to walk off, when she grabbed his arm and yelled "Wait!".

"I... I have another question about the potion. Have you tested on obliviates as well as cruciatus?"

"No, so far the testing has been solely on cruciatus. I've gotten permission from several families to test on patients in the Janus Thickey ward at St. Mungo's."

"Neville's parents?" She was pretty sure that Neville would have consented to the trials.

"Yes. And other victims of...of deatheaters as well." Apparently talking about the deatheaters, many of whom he had to associate with prior to the fall of Voldemort, was an uncomfortable topic.

"Do you...do you have any plans to test on patients with obliviated memories any time soon?"

"Yes, as soon as we are finished with the current testing. As promising as this research is, I assume we will be ready to start the testing on obliviates within the next six months. Does this concern your parents?

"Yes...no. Well, I would like them to recover their memories, but no, that wasn't who I actually had in mind."

"Well, we will need test subjects, and I'm sure you could let them know of the parameters of the research since you read the proposal in the patent application. Is this someone I know?"

"Yes," she mumbled quietly, beginning to regret that she started this conversation. She paused for a second, then looked at him before she replied, "Me."

"Pardon?" His eyebrows had almost risen to his hairline, such was the shock on his face.

"I said 'me'. I was obliviated, and I really want to recover the memories."

-ooOOoo-

Hermione put down the now-cold cup of tea to continue her conversation with Harry. She had waited almost a week to contact him after finding out she had been obliviated, but she really wanted to talk to him about the memory potion that Professor Snape was working on.

"It really does look promising, Harry. He even agreed to let me be a test subject."

"But is it safe for the baby? I don't think you should take an experimental potion while you are pregnant," the concern was evident in Harry's voice.

"Actually, I did not ask him about that. He said he wouldn't be ready to test the potion on obliviates for probably another six months, and obviously I won't be pregnant by the time the testing would start."

Harry ran his hands through his hair, trying to carefully word the question so that he wouldn't anger Hermione.

"You are aware that you don't have to wait six months for answers. The Legilimancy and Occlumancy department in the auror office can sometimes recover obliviated memories, especially if the spell could have been done incorrectly. It is perfectly safe during pregnancy."

"Harry," she sighed, "yes, I am aware of that. But...I don't think I want to go through that for many reasons. One is that the spell would have to have been done incorrectly to recover the memories. And another," and with this she spoke very timidly, "I may not want to remember what happened."

"I thought you wanted to know more about the baby's father?" It was then that it dawned on Harry what Hermione was trying to imply. "Wait...you don't think you were raped, do you?"

"I honestly don't know, Harry. Waiting until the potion can be tested will give me a few months to decide whether I really want to know the answer to that question." She gently rubbed her belly, then looked up at Harry. "I love my baby, and it took a while for me to get to this point. I don't want to know anything if it would change the way I feel about her."

-ooOOoo-

Severus Snape sat in his office, looking over the pages of notes he had taken from the latest dose of the potion tested at St. Mungo's. One patient had remembered small amounts of the past year after not being able to recall any of it previously. He was a former student that had been crucio'd almost to insanity by the Carrows during the last year of the war...when he himself was Headmaster. The excessive crucios had wiped away most of his memories from the past three years, and he had previously struggled to retain any memories since the time he was crucio'd.

Severus flipped through several more pages of notes, observing similar results with the Longbottoms and two other patients in the Janus Thickey ward. It wasn't a total cure, but it was a big increase in the number of memories that returned with repeated doses of the potion.

He paused his perusal of the notes, and stared blankly at the wall of his office. He wondered at what point he should start testing the potion on himself. Despite what many people had assumed, including the staff at St. Mungo's, the potion wasn't actually created to help the Longbottoms. Not that he didn't want to help them, but that was not the reason for it. What many people did not realise was that he created it first and foremost for himself.

It could have been after-effects of the cruciatus, which was used on him numerous times by the Dark Lord and even other deatheaters. The other possibility was an after-effect of Nagini's bite, or all the potions given to him to heal him after the bite. But sometime after he was bitten, he noticed small amounts of time that he could not recall what had happened. It didn't happen very often, but when it did it unsettled him greatly.

He had almost put the potion on hold several months back because it had been nearly a year since the last incident. What made him change his mind was a missing block of time from about four months ago. It plagued him more than any of the other incidents, and he was now determined to get those memories back.

_**A/N... This is my first time EVER writing from Severus's POV. I have a really difficult time with it, and you won't see it too often. So forgive me if it isn't the best. I am trying.**_

_**It will be at least a week before the next chapter is up. I'll be honest...I haven't even started it yet. Real life...kids, husband, bills, mortgage, you get the picture... have cramped my writing time. I promise I'll be writing in the next couple of days.**_


	7. Chapter 6

_The usual disclaimer applies..._

_A/N...Sorry this is up so late. I was out of town this weekend, then came back with a migraine. I am apologizing for all the mistakes in advance, along with the worse-than-usual Britpicking. Although I am American, I try to catch my obvious 'Americanisms' whenever I can, but I think this might not be as up to par as usual._

* * *

Chapter 6

New Life

Hermione sat in the maternity waiting area at St. Mungo's, awaiting an update from Harry. Ginny had gone into labor two weeks early, just as she had hoped, and had been admitted almost twelve hours ago. Hermione had hoped she would have heard something by now, as it was getting really late, but the last update from Harry implied that it would still be a while. Hermione pulled out her P_otions Weekly_ periodical and started perusing the table of contents. She had just picked an article to read when she saw long blond hair out of the corner of her eye.

"Any news yet?" Luna smiled, and sat down next to Hermione.

"Not yet, I was hoping to hear something soon, though. I have to go to work tomorrow, and I am so tired I can barely keep my eyes open. The only thing keeping me awake is the tapping on my bladder by this little one," she patted her stomach gently as she was talking.

"So how far along are you now, Hermione?"

"Almost twenty weeks, so I am now halfway there. I think I am finally starting to look pregnant rather than podgy. I reluctantly bought new robes last week, so I'm hoping that I'm showing rather than eating too much."

Luna looked down at Hermione's stomach, then smiled at her. "I still can't believe that Harry and Ginny are going to be parents any minute now, assuming they aren't already. I am most surprised that you are going to have a baby. I always thought that you would be too career-oriented to start a family this soon."

"Well, um," Hermione stuttered nervously as she continued, "I didn't exactly plan on starting a family this soon. This...she...wasn't exactly planned."

"Are you at least going to have help with the baby? Your parents or...or the baby's father?"

"My parents are still in Australia. They still don't... remember me, and the baby's father isn't in the picture. I hadn't thought a lot about it, but I guess for the most part I will be doing this alone."

"Oh, Hermione," Luna smiled softly and shook her head. "I'm sorry. I know we aren't as close as we were at Hogwarts, but I will help you any way I can, if you would like me to."

Hermione couldn't help but get emotional from the kind offering from Luna. She hugged Luna tightly as she spoke, "That would be wonderful, Luna."

The women had just ended their embrace when Harry came rushing into the waiting area, a large smile on his face.

"He's here! James Sirius Potter was born about fifteen minutes ago. The midwife is cleaning him up right now. Ginny asked to see you for a few minutes, Hermione." He looked over from Hermione to Luna, and then continued. "Luna, would you like to get a cup of coffee with me in the cafeteria while Hermione visits. I'd love to tell you all about him."

Hermione heard Luna's reply of "Of course" as they headed towards the cafeteria.

-ooOOoo-

Hermione knocked gently on the door as she pushed it slightly open. "Ginny, it is me, Hermione. Is it okay to come in now?"

"Yes, come on in. Mum and dad left a few minutes ago." Ginny was smiling, holding baby James in the crook of her elbow.

Hermione walked slowly towards the bed, and gazed at the alert baby in Ginny's arms. He had a startling amount of soft black hair, and murky blue eyes. As far as she could tell, he looked a lot like Harry.

"James, this is your Aunt Hermione," she cooed at the baby, and then looked up at Hermione.

"Ginny, he is beautiful. He already looks a lot like Harry...he even has his wild black hair."

"Yes, I know," Ginny chuckled quietly. "I carried him for nine months, and he looks nothing like me. I'm even pretty sure that his eyes will eventually turn green like Harry's."

At that moment, James started fussing and thrashing in Ginny's arms. "Hermione, you can leave if you are uncomfortable, but I need to try and feed him now. But you can stay if it doesn't bother you. In fact, I would like the company."

"I'll stay. I am going to be doing this myself in just a few months, so I might as well stay. It isn't as though we haven't seen each other after sharing a bathroom at Hogwarts."

Ginny lowered her gown and started to feed the baby, and Hermione's mind started to drift to thoughts of her own baby. _I keep imagining that she is going to look like me, but what if she looks like him? Do I really want to know who he is?_ Her smiling gaze at Ginny and James turned stoic as these thoughts invaded her mind.

"Hermione? Hermione are you okay?"

"I'm sorry, Ginny. My mind wandered off for a moment. I'm just very tired since it is so late." She subconsciously bit at her lip, hoping that Ginny wouldn't pick up on her depressing thoughts.

"Hermione...something is wrong, I can tell. Just tell me what you were thinking about. It would make you feel better to talk about it."

"Oh, Ginny. I don't want to spoil this beautiful moment between you and James. We can talk about this another time, okay?"

Ginny gave her a stern Molly look, then spoke in a more serious tone. "Spill it, Hermione. I don't want you to bottle this up if it is bothering you."

"It's just...just...I was thinking about how much James looks like Harry. He already is almost a miniature little Harry, and it just got me to thinking. What if...what if she doesn't look like me, but looks like her father. I'm thinking that maybe I should try to recover those memories...maybe I should find out who he is."

"Hermione, I'm not going to push you one way or another. Harry and I both care deeply about you; you are like family to us. You need to think long and hard about whether you want to find out, but we will support you no matter what you decide."

"Thank you, Ginny." She yawned suddenly, and it was a little louder than she hoped it would be. "I guess that really is my cue to head home. I will come by tomorrow and see you again. Hopefully I can talk to Harry more tomorrow as well. Goodbye, Ginny."

-ooOOoo-

She slowly walked towards the public floos at the entrance to St. Mungo's. As she approached, she noticed a familiar billow of black robes walking in front of her. She walked quickly, trying to catch up with him before he left the building.

"Professor Snape? Professor Snape, is that you?"

He stopped so suddenly, that she almost ran into the back of him. He quickly turned, and had a smirk firmly in place before he realised who it was that had addressed him.

"Miss Granger, what are you doing here so late in the evening? I do hope that you are well." He glanced at her stomach as he spoke.

"Um...well, we are fine," she blushed as she answered him. She was embarrassed, but not exactly sure why. "I was just visiting Ginny Potter and baby James."

"James?" He said the name as if it was a bad taste in his mouth.

"Yes, James. Ginny just had the baby this evening, and I was visiting them. What are you doing here so late, Professor?"

"I thought you would still remember that I am testing a potion. With classes at Hogwarts, and Head of House duties, I do the testing and observation when I get the chance."

Hermione would later wonder if it was exhaustion that made her speak, or shear stupidity. "Do you need any help with the testing, Professor? It has been slow at the patent office lately, and I could help you with the research."

"Well, it would help to have someone take notes during the testing. After having you as an apprentice for two years, I do remember that your note taking was more than adequate. But why, pray tell, would you want to help? Aren't you busy enough with work and...personal business?"

"I...I miss research, to be honest with you. And I would kind of like to see how the potion works before I take it myself. I still have several months before the baby comes, so I should be able to help with the first round of the testing."

"Very well," he sighed, "it looks like I now have an assistant. At the moment, I am only visiting here twice a week, and I will let you know the schedule within the week. I suppose having an assistant will help somewhat."

"Thank you, sir. I look forward to working with you...again. Goodnight, Professor Snape."

Hermione walked towards the floo with a slight smile on her face. _Research! I get to do research again!_ The exhaustion was now fading as the adrenaline kicked in. Her ministry job payed well enough, but was quite mundane and boring. She was excited to actually do potions research again, even if it meant dealing with a grouchy potions master.

* * *

_**A/N... I had to get them together, somehow, didn't I. Now let's see how it goes :)**_

_**Sorry for all those super-canon Luna fans, but my Luna isn't airy or dimwitted. In my world, she is more serious after spending quite a bit of time in the Malfoy basement. Also, I can't write 'dreamy Luna' worth a crap.**_


	8. Chapter 7

_The usual disclaimer applies. I own nothing, make nothing, and everything other than the plot belongs to the wonderful JKR._

_A/N...Sorry I am getting this up so late! I had an 'ah-ha' moment at 2 am and decided to change some things with this story. So lots of rewrites last night and this morning!_

* * *

Chapter 7

Researching

Hermione took a look at the sign on the door, then took a deep calming breath as she walked in. The Janus Thickey Ward did not appear any different than any of the other wards at St. Mungo's, well, except the healers station where all visitors had to sign in. All visitors to the ward had to have clearance to visit patients; they had to either be family members or be on a visitors list approved by family members.

She signed in and proceeded to wait for Professor Snape. She was almost ten minutes early, but she just couldn't wait any longer to floo to St. Mungo's. She was almost giddy with excitement as she reached in her bag and double-checked that she had enough quills, ink, and parchment to take notes. She was still putting it all back in her bag when she noticed the black boots at her feet. She startled as she heard him speak.

"How do you do that?" Her voice was more of a gasp as she spoke to him.

"Do what, Miss Granger?"

"Sneak up on people like that. You would think that after ten years, I would be used to it. Or at least not jump up like some first year."

His only reply was a quirk of his eyebrow and a smirk as he turned and headed towards their first patient in the ward. She tried to keep up with him as he strode down the hallway, robes billowing behind him. He was probably a foot taller than her, and between the height difference and her already-slowed gait from the pregnancy, she was having a difficult time keeping up with him.

He finally stopped at the last room on the right, and turned to speak to her, but stopped as he took in her appearance. She was breathing deeply and leaning into the door, slightly red in the face.

"Miss Granger, are you alright?"

"I am fine," she panted as she spoke. "It is just a little harder to keep up with you now. It was already difficult enough with the height difference, and now it is bloody impossible with someone sitting on my bladder." She tried to refocus her thoughts to the actual reason they were there. "Tell me about this first patient."

He quickly went into Professor mode, and started speaking to her in the same lecturing voice that she had gotten used to during her apprenticeship.

"His name is Samuel Westcott. He was crucio'd several times by the Carrows, and has not been able to form and retain memories from the past three years. His long term memory was never affected, and he has always retained full memory from before the cruciatus curse was used. However, any of the memories since then he has trouble remembering. Some of the memories have disappeared altogether. He has had three doses of the potion, and has been able to both recover some of the lost memories, and have better clarity of the ones that were foggy in his memory."

"He was in Ginny's year, and I really didn't know him. I think he was in Hufflepuff." She opened her bag to start rummaging for a quill, ink, and parchment. "Are you giving him another dose of the potion today, or just asking questions about his memory?"

"Today is just going to be more questions. I was unable to take thorough notes the last time, and hopefully we can get all of the pertinent information today." He looked at her as he pushed the door open. "Are you ready?"

"Yes," she smiled as she followed him into the room.

-ooOOoo-

She yawned as she sat down in a chair near the main entrance to St. Mungo's. They had just finished interviewing the last patient of the day, and she was exhausted. Professor Snape had asked each patient the same questions, and she wrote down the answers along with the observations of each one.

"Miss Granger, it is late, and it is quite obvious that you need your rest. We will meet again in two days to talk to the Longbottoms, if your schedule is clear."

"Yes, that will be fine," she answered, the distraction evident in her voice.

"What is your question, Miss Granger? I can see the wheels turning, and can tell that you want to ask me something?"

"Well...I know that this is still early in the testing phase, but to me, at least, it is obviously a successful potion. Why are you wanting to wait another four or five months to begin testing on obliviations? Why not start now?"

"Several reasons, Miss Granger. If you are wanting to eventually be a full time researcher, you need to understand the reasons. You come from a muggle background...why does it take months, if not years for pharmaceuticals to be approved?"

"Oh...of course. The potion may appear to be successful now, but there may be side effects or it may not be effective later on." She paused for a second, then continued, "What are the other reasons?"

"Well, as of right now, I only have two potential test subjects for the obliviate portion of the testing phase, and you are one of those. I need to have at least ten patients to attempt the testing."

"Oh, I see. And is that it? Any other reasons, Professor?"

"None that I can share at the moment, Miss Granger." He watched her yawn again, then continued. "You need your rest, we will talk more about this the next time. Good evening, Miss Granger."

"Good evening, Professor."

-ooOOoo-

Severus stepped out of his floo and dusted his robe off. He stripped it off and laid it on the back of a chair as he headed towards the bottle of brandy sitting on the end table. He poured himself a glass, and took a sip as he thought about his research.

Tonight had been much more successful than the previous nights, and he knew it was because he finally had an able-bodied assistant to help him. He would never admit it to her, but he was quite excited when she offered her assistance. Hermione Granger, the student, annoyed him to no end in the six years that he had her as a student. She was incessant with the hand waving, a know-it-all, and annoyed him to the extreme. But Hermione Granger, the apprentice, and now adult, was a capable research assistant. She completed tasks effortlessly, took thorough notes, and rarely asked unneeded questions. _It is a pity that I will only have her as an assistant for the next four months,_ he thought to himself. She seemed excited and eager to be researching, but she would be trading the research for changing nappies and getting up every few hours at night. _Too bad she has no family to watch the baby; I would love to be able to have her as an assistant until the end of the potions trials. _

If he really thought about it, he wasn't sure that losing an able-bodied assistant was the only thing that bothered him. Granger was bright, not that he'd ever tell her that, and she would be leaving academics to stay home with a child. Single mothers were usually ostracized in the wizarding world, and it would be highly unlikely that she would be welcomed back to potions research after she had the baby. _What a waste of a brilliant mind_, he thought to himself.

"I can't believe I am feeling sorry for Granger," he mumbled softly as he stared at the glass in his hand.

* * *

_**A/N...I admit that this chapter is shorter, and probably not up to par with the rest of them. I was hit during the middle of the night with a plot bunny to do something different with this story than I had planned, so I was rewritting this to make it fit. I really think my 2 am idea will make this story a LOT better. The story will start moving quicker, with more plot twists and angst in the next 2-3 chapters.**_

_**Again, reviews are always appreciated!**_


	9. Chapter 8

_**The usual disclaimer applies. Everything but the plot belongs to the fabulous J K Rowling.**_

_**A/N... I suppose that I owe a chapter early after taking so long with the last one! I've been a 'writing machine' ever since I had inspiration the other night. So you might actually get two chapters this week! Things start happening in this chapter, so enjoy!**_

* * *

Chapter 8

Complications

"How about Persephone?" Ginny looked up from the baby book and gave Hermione an evil grin.

"Gods, no. Hermione is bad enough...I will not do the same to my daughter. No Greek goddesses, or even Roman ones for that matter."

Ginny gave her an exasperated sigh. "Well, you do need to start thinking about it more seriously. You only have about three months left, and you don't want to decide last minute, trust me. I have some cousins with truly hideous names because my aunt had to name them before they left St. Mungo's. Remember Gertrude from Fleur's wedding?"

"I see your point," Hermione replied while trying to stifle a chuckle. "But believe it or not, I have been giving it some thought. I thought about using a family name...maybe name her after my great aunt Ellen. What do you think of Eleanor?"

"Hmm...Eleanor Granger. Not very wizarding, but I do like it. Have you thought about a middle name?"

Hermione's smile faltered, and she shook her head. "No, Ginny...and I just can't...not yet. In my family, the babies usually have a middle name from the father's side." Hermione paused for a moment, deep in thought. "I don't know if I even want to give her a middle name."

"Well," Ginny smiled, trying to lighten the mood, "I definitely think you should name her Eleanor...it fits."

-ooOOoo-

Hermione winced as she sat up in bed. Her chest ached, most likely from all the laughing she did with Ginny the previous night. It was nice having a 'girl's night', even if it was just at Ginny's house with no alcohol involved.

She loved the research that she was doing with Professor Snape, but it had been three weeks and she had needed a break. The potion really seemed to be successful, but the situations of the patients at St. Mungo's had started to depress her. Ginny had been a godsend when she suggested a 'girls' night in' at her house. Harry had made chicken Marsala and put James to bed so the girls could enjoy their virgin Margaritas and 'girl talk'. It had been a wonderful evening with conversations varying from babies to sex, with lots of laughter thrown in. She had honestly hated for the night to end.

A sharp kick to her bladder brought her back to the present, and Hermione started to get ready for another mundane day of reading through potions patent applications.

-ooOOoo-

Hermione shifted in her seat, and glanced again at the clock in her office. It was finally time to go home, and she was excited that it was a potions research day with Professor Snape. Between the backache that seemed to get progressively worse throughout the day, and the boring stack of applications, she had been ready for the day to end hours ago.

She had just enough time to eat a quick dinner and change robes before she floo'd to St. Mungo's. She knew she was running late, and she hoped for once that Professor Snape would not say anything about it. _No such luck_, she thought to herself as she stepped out of the floo and saw a very irate Severus Snape staring at her.

"You're late," he hissed at her.

"I'm sorry, I would have-"

"Nevermind," he cut her off, "we will just have to work faster tonight." He quickly strode off towards Mr. Westcott's room.

She walked as quickly as she could to try to catch up, but as her backache got progressively worse, she found herself struggling to keep up with him. She finally had almost made it to Mr. Westcott's room when she felt a stabbing pain deep in her abdomen.

"Oh, God!" she screamed as she doubled over in pain. "Professor Snape...Severus! I need help, something is wrong!"

He had just started to open Samuel Westcott's door when he heard her scream. He turned around just in time to see her double over, clutching her belly.

"What can I do, Miss-Hermione?"

"I need help...it hurts so bad. The baby...I am worried about my baby. Please get someone," she pleaded between sobs.

He quickly cast his patronus and watched as the doe galloped towards the emergency section of St. Mungo's. He started to move her when he realised there was a large puddle of blood underneath her.

"I don't think I should move you," he spoke in a soft tone that she had never heard before.

"Please, just stay with me until they get here," she sobbed into his robes.

-ooOOoo-

It was literally only minutes before two healers and a mediwitch apparated beside her. A few diagnostic spells were performed on her before she was stable enough to be levitated to a room. The panic momentarily halted as she heard the familiar 'thumpity- thump' of the baby's heartbeat as the healer performed the spell.

Severus started to walk away from her, but she clutched desperately at his robes as she was levitated down the hall. "Please don't leave me alone," she said as she grabbed his arm.

He was gobsmacked. He had never been a source of comfort to anyone, yet Miss Granger...Hermione...did not want him to leave her. It was a strange feeling for him, one that he would have to ponder later.

He waited outside the room as the healers settled her into a bed. He didn't intend to eavesdrop, but he couldn't help it since the door to her room had been left open.

"Miss Granger, we have a pretty good idea what is wrong, but we need to run more diagnostic spells. Would you like us to contact the baby's father for you?"

"No. He isn't going to be a part of the baby's life. Please just contact my friends Luna Lovegood and Ginny Potter...I don't have any family that can be here," her voice hitching occasionally as she spoke.

"Are you positive you don't want us to contact the baby's father? Sometimes in a situation like this, it might change whether he wants to be involved or not."

Tears welled up in her eyes as she spoke. "Is my baby going to be okay?"

"She is stable at the moment, but we still need to perform these diagnostic spells to find out what is going on." The healer continued performing spells and then writing down the results on the parchment.

"I am going to have to keep you here for several days, Miss Granger. You have a mild case of placenta previa, which is when the baby's placenta is partially on the cervix. This normally wouldn't be a problem, but you had mild contractions which caused the placenta to bleed. Dehydration probably caused the contractions, but we will need to keep you until the contractions have stopped and the baby is stable."

"Will she be okay?"

"She has a very good chance, but that is all I can say for now. Are you sure you don't want us to contact the father?"

"Yes, I am sure," Hermione responded quietly. As the healer left the room, Hermione rubbed her belly and spoke softly to the baby. "I would like to think that your daddy would want to be here, baby. I'm...I'm just not sure I want to know who he is."

Severus stood outside of her room, stunned. He had assumed that Miss Granger...Hermione...had a falling out with the baby's father. She didn't really seem like the type to have a one night stand, especially with someone she didn't know. The other possibility was that she was too drunk to remember who the baby's father was, and that didn't really seem too likely, either. His eyebrows shot up as he suddenly remembered a conversation with her.

"_Well, we will need test subjects, and I'm sure you could let them know of the parameters of the research since you read the proposal in the patent application. Is this someone I know?"_

"_Yes," she mumbled quietly, beginning to regret that she started this conversation. She paused for a second, then looked at him before she replied, "Me."_

"_Pardon?" His eyebrows had almost risen to his hairline, such was the shock on his face._

"_I said 'me'. I was obliviated, and I really want to recover the memories."_

* * *

_**A/N...See? I told you there would be angst. The pieces of the puzzle, for both of them, will gradually start falling into place now.**_

_**Before I get flamed for the 'angst'...I will say I am a big believer in HEA, it just may take a while to get there.**_

_**No offence to anyone named Gertrude, or who happens to like that name. I always thought it was awful, though :)**_


	10. Chapter 9

_**The usual disclaimer applies.**_

_**A/N...Thank you for all the wonderful reviews! It made my day...really, it did. And for those who commented on the name Eleanor...I like it, too. It is my daughter's name.**_

* * *

Chapter 9

Hermione's Visitors

"You gave me quite a fright last night, little one," Hermione spoke softly to her belly, rubbing it softly.

"And your Uncle Harry and I as well." Ginny smiled at Hermione as she entered the room. She walked across the room and gave Hermione a hug.

"I was so worried last night. It hurt so bad...and there was so much blood. I really thought I was going to lose her. I've spent the past hour thinking about everything...almost losing her really puts it all into perspective."

"I totally understand. If something had happened to James...," she couldn't finish the sentence. She sat down on the chair beside Hermione's bed and offered her a small smile.

"Harry and I were both shocked when Professor Snape's patronus appeared. We knew it had to be serious. I came by last night, but the healer told me you were already asleep, so I stayed in the waiting area and talked to Professor Snape for a while."

Hermione looked shocked. "He was still here? I thought he left after I was put in a room."

"He was still here when I left, Hermione. Luna was just getting here as I was leaving, and he talked to her for a while as well. I am not sure what time he left...you will have to ask Luna." Ginny pulled a chair out and sat next to Hermione's bed. "What exactly happened last night?"

"I met Professor Snape last night to assist with the potions trials, but before we could start I had a stabbing pain, and then was bleeding. He sent a patronus to the healers, and stayed with me until they arrived. I know this will sound strange, but he was so different last night. He even let me hold his hand until I was put into a room."

"Well," Ginny smiled at Hermione as she spoke, "I'm not really that surprised. He seemed a lot different after the war, and you did apprentice with him for two years. He really did seem concerned last night when I talked with him."

They were both silent for a moment, the awkwardness permeating the room.

"So...how long do you have to stay here?"

"Two more days, but then I can't go back to work for at least the next two weeks. I am on bed rest for the next two weeks as well. I am going to be so bored if you and baby James don't visit me."

"We will definitely visit you. I might even convince Harry to cook another Italian dish to bring over. He's almost as good a cook as I am now, though he would never admit it," Ginny chuckled as she spoke.

-ooOOoo-

Severus sat in his office, grading fifth year essays. He hastily scribbled a T for Troll across the top of the essay, before slamming it down on his desk. He had been working for almost an hour, and had only managed to grade three essays. His mind kept replaying the conversation he overheard at St. Mungo's outside of Hermione's room.

Everything had started to click into place. _No wonder she had asked so many questions about the potion,_ he thought to himself.

He started to grade another essay when a horrible thought entered his head. If she didn't know who the baby's father was, and she was obliviated, it could be anyone. Although all the deatheaters with Dark Marks were either incarcerated or kissed, himself excluded, there were plenty of Voldemort sympathizers that never went to trial. Quite a few even commented on the horrible things they would do to Hermione Granger if they had ever caught her.

_She could have been raped. _There. He finally thought what his brain had been leading to for the past few minutes. No wonder she never wanted to say much about the baby's father; she must have had the same thoughts as well.

_Why do I even care? _He was wondering why this seemed to concern him so much. He had never actually even liked the girl...well, woman now...much. _No, that is not true...she was an excellent apprentice and has been a valuable research assistant. _

He then thought about the strange feelings he had when she grasped his arm at St. Mungo's last night. _You were concerned about her, admit it, dammit. _

-ooOOoo-

Hermione startled when she realised that she had dropped _Most Potente Potions_ into her lap. She must have dozed off and not realised it. She really was bored, but still had another day before she was allowed to leave St. Mungo's.

She picked up the book, looking for the page she had been reading, when there was a slight knock on the door.

"Hello Hermione," Healer Smythwick said in a pleasant tone. "The emergency healers had told me I had a patient over here that I needed to see. How are you feeling?"

"Better, I'm not in any pain, but I am still worried about my baby."

"I've reviewed your chart, and I think the baby will be just fine as long as you take precautions. You are to be on bed rest for the next two weeks, then restricted activity until she gets here. No lifting more than a stone, and no sexual intercourse for the duration of the pregnancy."

Hermione blushed a little at the last of that. "I think that will be easy enough." _It's not like there is a man in my life, anyway, _she thought.

"We do need to talk for a few minutes about the delivery, though. I see from your chart that you are muggleborn, so I assume you are familiar with caesarian sections?"

"Yes, my mother had a caesarian section with me. I think she said I was turned the wrong way."

"Well, we don't do them often here. Many of the reasons that muggles have them do not apply to witches. We can turn babies in utero with spells, and untangle the umbilical cords as well. But magic still hasn't found a way to move the placenta off of the cervix."

"I see," Hermione said with a grimace.

"Our caesarians are much safer, though. And we can heal the incision quickly and safely with a spell. Recovery is only a couple of days versus six weeks the muggle way."

"Well, that is good to know," she sighed.

"We will talk about this more at your appointment in two weeks." She smiled briefly at Hermione before leaving the room.

Hermione finally let out the tears she had been holding back. She started sobbing as she processed everything that had happened the past two days. She came really close to losing her baby, and now she was going to have to have a caesarian section. It was all just too much to deal with at the moment, and she laid back on the pillow and cried herself to sleep.

-ooOOoo-

Hermione awoke when she heard a knock at the door. She had no idea how long she had been asleep, but she was sure that she looked a fright. She could feel the salt from her tears on her face, her eyes were puffy, and she knew that her hair probably was a rat's nest.

"Come in," she said in a raspy voice.

She watched him as he slowly came into the room. It was obvious that he was uncomfortable being there, despite coming into the room. He approached her bed, but stared at the bedside chair for several moments before he finally sat down.

"How are you doing Miss Granger? Is your...the...baby okay?"

It was obvious that Professor Snape was out of his element. His normally smooth voice had stuttered as he talked to her.

"We are both okay. I can't thank you enough for getting help for me so quickly. I'm not sure she," and she subconsciously rubbed her belly as she spoke, "would still be here if you hadn't acted so quickly."

"It was...nothing. I was close, and it only took a few minutes to send a patronus. Anyone would have done it in the same position." He paused for a second, unsure whether to continue, "It...the baby...is a girl?"

"Yes. I think I am going to name her Eleanor, but I have not totally decided for sure." She was unsure why she was telling him this, but the words kept coming out. "I still have about three months to decide on a name."

He just stared at her for a moment before he changed topics. "I'm assuming that you will be unavailable for some time to help with the potions testing?"

"Yes, at least two weeks. I will talk to my healer at the next appointment after that to see if I can continue helping at that time. I'm...I'm sorry I can't help you right now, Professor."

"That is quite alright. I managed to do the research and notes for the first few months alone, I'm sure I will manage just fine. However, I brought a copy of the notes from last night if you would like to peruse them while you are here."

"I would love to. I have been so bored when I haven't had company, and this will give me something to do. Thank you, Professor."

He was unsure why he said it, but as he walked towards the door he said softly, "I haven't been your Professor in almost a year. You can call me Severus."

She smiled up at him as she spoke, "Thank you for coming by, Severus."

* * *

_**A/N... Yup, we are slowly getting there.**_


	11. Chapter 10

_**Everything familiar belongs to the wonderful JK Rowling, and I make nothing from this.**_

_**A/N...I didn't have time for my beta...aka my sister...to look at this, so all mistakes are my own. But she is gone right now, and I figured you would rather have it with a few mistakes then wait another week.**_

* * *

Chapter 10

Revelations

Severus stared at the vial in front of him for several minutes before finally picking it up. He honestly did not know why he was hesitating. He had already given it to several patients, and the results had been even better than he was expecting. Still...he would be putting it into his own body, not knowing exactly how it would affect him.

He had planned to wait a while longer before he tested it on himself, but with Miss Granger..._Hermione_...unavailable to help him for two weeks, it was now a perfect time. He gave the vial one last glance before quickly uncorking it and drinking it.

He wasn't sure what to expect, but glimpsing a portion of a lost memory almost immediately was unexpected. He suddenly remembered sitting at a bar, at a pub totally unfamiliar to him, downing a shot of whiskey. As far as he knew, he had never been to this bar before.

He quickly grabbed a sheet of parchment and began writing down the results of his taking the potion. If his results were going to be similar to the other patients, he would start regaining more memories over the next few days.

-ooOOoo-

Hermione looked into her kitchen and sighed deeply. "Luna, please sit down for a minute. Just because I am on bed rest does not mean that you have to do every single thing in my flat. I can take out my wand and-"

"Nonsense, Hermione. You know as well as I do that your healer said not to do much magic, either. It will wear you out, and you need to rest as much as possible the next week and a half. You do have to rest if you want to be off restrictions when she said you could be."

"Oh...alright. But I just feel so useless right now. I can't do anything at work, or anything here, and I can't do my research with Severus."

"_Severus_? Since when do you call him _Severus_?" Luna turned around and gave Hermione a smile. "Not that I am surprised after the way he worried about you at St. Mungo's."

Hermione blushed, then tried to recover before answering. "Since he told me to call him Severus, while I was at St. Mungo's. He said that I haven't been his student in a long time, and that he wasn't my Professor any longer."

"Hmm," Luna didn't sound convinced, "is that all there is to it? It was obvious that he was worried about you the night you were admitted, and he visited you as well. Are you sure there isn't something you should be telling me, _Hermione_?"

"It...it's not what you think, Luna. I think maybe we are starting to become friends. I am no longer his apprentice, and maybe he thinks of me as a friend and a contemporary now. We have had excellent conversations about the potions trials and some recent potions articles. I think we have both enjoyed the stimulating conversation."

"I'm still not sure that is it. Are you sure that only the conversations have been _stimulating_?" Luna waggled her eyebrows at Hermione as she spoke.

Hermione's eyes opened wide, and she coughed from trying to stifle a gasp. "Of course that is all, Luna. You are being ridiculous. For one thing, you are talking about Professor Snape...you know, tall, dark, and brooding? For another, I am six months pregnant...like he would have any interest in me, anyway. Like any male would right now...I am starting to resemble a beach ball."

"You are not resembling a beach ball. You look radiant, Hermione. And I still think his interest is more than you think it is. You didn't see how concerned he was for you and the baby in the waiting area."

-ooOOoo-

Severus picked up his quill and tapped it gently against the table as he thought of what to write in his notes. He had taken the potion four days ago, and since then, he had several random, unrelated memories that had surfaced. Most of the memories were quite benign...and many were of him doing mundane chores around his quarters, or simply relaxing in front of the fire. In fact, the only reason he knew that these were recovered memories was because they were only snippets of memories, and they had occurred at random times during the past few days. The only puzzling memories were snippets from the night at the pub. This time, the memories included glimpses of a woman. He was unable to recall much of the memories...just the sound of her laughing at something he had told her, and a glimpse of the short black skirt she had worn.

He was very intrigued by the pub memories. He had not been with a woman in years...not since he first was released from St. Mungo's after recovering from Nagini's bite. As the reluctant hero, or anti-hero, he had several one night flings with women who just wanted to say that they had slept with him. No romances, or relationships, but rather quick escapades of convenient sex. It was a shame that he might have done something with this woman at the bar, and he couldn't even remember it.

_Thank goodness it will be time for another dose in two days_, he thought to himself. _If I had shagged someone, it would be nice to remember it. _

He wrote down all of the recovered memories on the parchment, and was glad that he hadn't mentioned himself as a test subject to Hermione. Depending on the memories he continued to recover, it could be quite awkward if Hermione were to read them.

He put his quill down when he finished writing, and then glanced at the clock on the mantel. It was already almost midnight, and he had a combined class of first year Gryffindors and Slytherins in the morning. He knew he would need his rest before facing that class tomorrow.

He stripped off his clothes and climbed into bed, too tired to do anything but go to sleep. As he drifted off, his last thoughts were of the woman in the short black skirt.

-ooOOoo-

Hermione bolted upright in her bed, drenched in sweat and panting. She had another strange dream, which hadn't been uncommon since she had become pregnant. She had many dreams about the baby, and her fears of a caesarian section. Tonight she had another delivery dream again, and this time she had awoken right after the healer had handed her the baby. She looked at her baby, and simply stared at her coal black tuft of hair and dark brown, almost black eyes. Her dream had startled her so much that she had woken up immediately.

"Damn Luna," she muttered to herself. "Putting crazy ideas in my head about Severus wanting me." She couldn't believe that Luna had even suggested such a thing, and it was even more surprising that the thoughts were affecting her dreams.

She tried to go back to sleep, but she couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to be involved with Severus. She giggled for a second as she thought of the absurdity of it, then went back to sleep.

-ooOOoo-

"One more week, just one more week," Hermione muttered to herself. She was tired of either being stuck on her sofa, or stuck in the bed. She loved Ginny and Luna dearly, but she was already tired of watching DVD movies on the telly. One more tear-jerking movie and she would pull her hair out, or scream, or maybe both.

She looked up just in time for the floo to flare green and to hear Luna's voice. "Ginny and I are coming thru, Hermione."

Hermione smiled as she saw Luna step into her living room, followed by Ginny holding baby James.

"I thought that maybe we could catch up on some Hogwarts gossip tonight," Ginny smirked as she spoke to Hermione. "I brought the gossip page from the Daily Prophet," and she gave Hermione a stern 'Molly' glance before she continued, "and before you fuss about how horrible the Prophet is, I just bought one today to read you an article."

She handed James to Luna, then flipped open the paper, and folded it over to show Hermione a picture before she started reading.

Hermione looked at the picture, then gasped for a brief moment before she started laughing. "Is that...Draco Malfoy and...Astoria Greengrass?"

"Yes. Let me read a bit from the accompanying article to you. 'Draconis Lucius Malfoy and Astoria Marie Greengrass will be married on Saturday, January 6th, in a private ceremony at Malfoy Manor.'"

"But they both look like they've been chewing on nails. I can't believe Draco is marrying Astoria! I thought she had more sense than that," Hermione exclaimed.

Ginny nodded, "I don't think either of them had a choice. I think it was arranged between Lucius and Astoria's parents. My dad said something about Lucius wanting to improve the Malfoy image after barely escaping Azkaban. The Greengrasses, despite a history of being Slytherins, were neutral in the war and are an upstanding pureblood family."

Luna looked at the article, then back up at Ginny and Hermione. "What about Pansy Parkinson? I thought she and Draco had been together since second or third year?"

"That is just another bit of the juicy gossip," Ginny chuckled as she spoke. "The Parkinsons were loyal supporters of He-who...er, Voldemort. Apparently Lucius demanded that they break it off so he could be betrothed to Astoria."

Luna shook her head slightly, "Poor Pansy."

Hermione and Ginny stared at each other a second, then burst into laughter.

"Poor Pansy, my arse. Couldn't have happened to a nicer girl," Ginny choked out.

At that, all three laughed for quite some time.

-ooOOoo-

Severus sat next to the fire, slowly sipping on a firewhiskey. It had been a strange couple of days, and he had wanted a drink several times, but he had to wait until his last class was over before he could start drinking. He had taken the second dose of the memory potion two days ago, and again, he was bombarded with forgotten memories every few hours. Just like with the previous dose, he kept a piece of parchment close to write down notes about how the potion had affected him.

Again, most of the memories had been rather mundane. Reading a book or periodical by the fire, having a drink, or just relaxing in his quarters. But just like the last dose, he had a few memories from the pub that resurfaced as well. He had been able to piece together what had happened from the memories that he had recovered. He apparently met a woman at the pub, and they both had several drinks, then he went to her flat...at least he assumed it was her flat, and had sex with her. He still had not recovered enough memories yet to discover her identity, or even her appearance. But from what little he could now recall, it was an evening that ended with very good sex.

He watched the flames dance in the fire as he took another sip of his firewhiskey. He suddenly paled as the glass slipped from his fingers and shattered onto the floor.

"Oh, Bloody Hell!"

* * *

_**A/N...Sorry for the cliffie, but I'm sure you have figured out what is going on. You'll just have to wait until the next chapter to see what he remembered.**_

_**Just to clarify since I got a PM about it...this is set around 3- 3 1/2 years after Snape got bitten in the Shrieking Shack, so around 2001. Hermione is about 22-ish (since she used the time turner), and Severus is approximately 41-42. So far I haven't used exact dates, but I'm guessing I'm putting this chapter around autumn 2001.**_


	12. Chapter 11

_**The usual disclaimer applies... **_

_**A/N... I struggled with this chapter, but I hope it doesn't show. Next chapter probably won't happen til after the 4th of July holiday...I have lots of family coming in. So I hope this one will suffice until then.**_

* * *

Chapter 11

If Only...

_No, no, no...this can't be real, _he thought to himself as he replayed the memory. He saw himself in the throws of passion with the woman from the bar, but this time he saw her face. _Hermione Granger_. Her hair was fanned out around her, and she was moaning 'Severus' as she reached her climax. Even though it was only a partial memory, it was the most erotic thing he had ever seen. His heart was racing and his body was responding at just the thought of these memories.

He replayed the memory several times, and wondered how much they had to drink for them to end up in her bed together. _Too much, apparently. _He desperately wished he could recall all the memories from that night because there were still too many unanswered questions. _How did they end up at her flat? Why can neither one remember...did he obliviate them both? Why didn't either of them perform a contraceptive charm?_

"Oh, God...a contraceptive charm," he muttered as he put his hands on his temples, and slumped in his chair. "The baby...her baby...it is probably mine."

The pieces of the puzzle were starting to fit together, and it terrified him. Hermione didn't know who the baby's father was because she was obliviated. He had sex with her, and only could remember because of the memory potion. He had obliviated them both, apparently, then left her flat. The baby had to be his...it was the only logical conclusion.

He downed the rest of his firewhiskey as he thought about his last conversation with her.

"_We are both okay. I can't thank you enough for getting help for me so quickly. I'm not sure she," and she subconsciously rubbed her belly as she spoke, "would still be here if you hadn't acted so quickly."_

"_It was...nothing. I was close, and it only took a few minutes to send a patronus. Anyone would have done it in the same position." He paused for a second, unsure whether to continue, "It...the baby...is a girl?"_

"_Yes. I think I am going to name her Eleanor, but I have not totally decided for sure." She was unsure why she was telling him this, but the words kept coming out. "I still have about three months to decide on a name."_

He was going to have a daughter. He poured himself another glass of firewhiskey and drank it down in one gulp. He needed time to think this through before he saw her again.

-ooOOoo-

Hermione sat nervously in the waiting area at St. Mungo's. It had been two weeks since she had been put on bedrest, and she was hoping that she would be able to go back to work and her research after the appointment. She picked up the battered copy of _Your Magical Pregnancy_, on loan from Ginny, and started to read.

She had just finished a chapter when she heard the familiar voice of Healer Smythwick calling her name. She nervously followed her to the exam room, hoping for good news.

"Hello, Hermione. How are you doing today? Any more bleeding or cramps the past two weeks?"

"No, and I have been drinking plenty of water as well. I'm hoping that I can return to work this week."

"Well, lay down on the exam table and we are going to have a look."

Hermione looked puzzled. "Have a look? Do you do muggle sonograms here? I thought that magic interferred with sonograms."

"You are right...we can't do sonograms, but we have a spell that shows a similar view to a sonogram. It will show a three dimensional image of the baby as well as the position of the placenta. I'm going to make sure the baby looks okay, and also check that the placenta is no longer bleeding."

Hermione watched the healer perform a series of complicated wand movements, then she gasped as she saw her baby for the first time. It was even clearer than a sonogram, and she could clearly see all of her fingers and toes. She was curled up sucking on one of her fingers.

"She can already suck her thumb?" Hermione asked in astonishment.

"Yes, she can do almost everything she'll be able to do when she is born. In fact, between muggle technology and wizard technology, she'd have a 75% survival rate if she were born now. But we prefer, of course, for her to stay put until at least 38 weeks."

Hermione continued to stare at the image. It was just so amazing to see her daughter...it made it so real. "What is that halo around her head? Is that normal?"

"Perfectly normal, but not that common at this stage. That is her hair, and she seems to have quite a bit already."

"I guess with my hair I shouldn't be too surprised," Hermione chuckled. She looked at Healer Smythwick and noticed she was staring at the ultrasound, now with a more serious expression.

"Is there something wrong?"

"No, actually I was just looking at the placenta. There is no sign of bleeding, so it looks like you'll be able to go back to work. You will still have lifting restrictions, though, and intercourse won't be allowed until after she is born."

Hermione sat up on the table, and pulled her robes back down. "Thank you so much, Healer Smythwick."

"I'll see you in two weeks, unless you have any problems or questions before then. Goodbye, Hermione."

-ooOOoo-

Severus dusted off his robes as he stepped out of the floo at St. Mungo's. He really detested floo travel, but it was the quickest way to St. Mungo's since they didn't allow apparating in from outside. He was frustrated enough that he had to come here today. _Why couldn't the healer wait until next week for the research notes?_ He wasn't paying attention as he stepped out of the floo until he walked into something. That something being the very soft, very pregnant Hermione Granger.

"I'm so sorry," she started, until she looked up to see who she had run into. "Oh...Prof...er...Severus! I'm so sorry! I didn't expect to see you here today."

Severus looked at her like a deer caught in headlights. "I...uh...Hello, Miss...Hermione." He was rarely caught off guard, but he did not expect to see her today. He was hoping for at least a few more days to process his newly recovered memories before he had to face her.

"Well...I was going to send you an owl, but since you are here, I might as well tell you the good news. I was released from restrictions today, so I can go back to work...and continue to help with the research." She stopped talking as she noticed the strange expression on his face.

"There isn't a problem with the research, is there? You aren't usually here this time of day."

Severus tried to school his expression to neutral, but he knew he was failing miserably. "No, I just had to bring notes about the potion to the senior healer on the Janus Thickey ward." He took a deep breath, then stared at her stomach for much longer than he had intended to. "You...and the baby are fine?"

She gave him a puzzled look, "Yes. I just had an appointment with my healer. She said the baby is fine, and everything can go back to normal as long as I am careful. I just have to see her more often...every two weeks...until I have my caesarian section in two months."

"Caesarian section? That's barbaric," he mumbled under his breath. _Shit, did I really say that out loud._

She continued to stare at him, but continued, "Yes, caesarian section. I have placenta previa, and that is why I had to stay for two weeks. So that is why I have to be careful even though I am allowed to go back to work."

He continued to stare at her belly before he realised what he was doing. He quickly returned his gaze back to her face. "I...need to get to the healer now. I am glad you are well now, Miss Granger. I will contact you next week about the research schedule. Good day."

-ooOOoo-

Hermione just stood there, even though Severus had walked away several minutes ago. She was very puzzled about the way he had acted and spoken to her today. He had stared at her belly several times, and had seemed really anxious or nervous when he spoke to her. _Maybe he is just nervous working with me again after having to help me when I collapsed? Maybe he's not sure it is safe for me to be working with him. _Several more thoughts popped into her head, but none of them could totally explain his behavior. Hopefully, everything would go back to the way it was when she started working with him again. She really missed the research, and if she was totally honest with herself, she had missed him as well.

* * *

_**A/N...I'm not a good 'lemon' writer, but I still wished I could have given you more. But I am trying to stay within fanfiction dot net's 'm' guidelines.**_

_**Hmm...so Severus knows, but Hermione doesn't. Wonder what problems that is going to cause?**_


	13. Chapter 12

_**The usual disclaimer applies. I own nothing and make nothing...it all belongs to JKR.**_

_**A/N...Sorry for the wait. Between the 4th of July holidays, having family in, and getting one child off to camp...I have been very busy. Hopefully this is worth the wait!**_

* * *

Chapter 12

What do I do now?

"Damn, damn, damn," Severus muttered as he stepped out of the floo into his house. He walked into the kitchen, and grabbed the bottle of whiskey and a glass. He stared at the glass for a minute, then put it back on the shelf. He needed more than just a drink, so he might as well drink out of the bottle. He took a large swig out of the bottle and then headed back into his sitting room.

He had not been this out of sorts since the Dark Lord had returned during the Tri-Wizard tournament. Maybe he was not even that out of sorts, then. At least he knew the Dark Lord was returning; finding out that he slept with Hermione Granger and that he was going to be a father was the biggest shock of his life.

He took another large swig out of the bottle, then threw it at the fireplace...watching it shatter and the liquid hiss in the flames. _No, I don't need to be drunk...I need to think this through sober_, he thought to himself. _Hmm...maybe it is a little too late for sober. _For once in his life, he didn't have a plan, and he did not even have an idea what to do.

The only thing he was sure of was that he needed to tell Hermione the truth, and the sooner, the better. But how could he tell her when he didn't know all the truth himself? He still only remembered part of that night, and had not recovered any memories of actually obliviating her. After all, he had only had two doses of the potion, and the research showed the most success after three or four doses.

He paced for a few minutes as his thoughts finally started to come together. He wasn't going to do research again with Hermione until next week, so he could have another dose of the potion before he saw her. Hopefully by then he would have recovered more memories, and then he could tell her the truth.

He still didn't know exactly what he would say to her, but at least he had a plan.

-ooOOoo-

Hermione sighed a little too loudly as she looked at the stack of papers on her desk. She had worked as efficiently as she could on her first day back, but she still had an almost ten inch stack of applications to go through. At this rate, she would be working extra hours the whole week. She started to grab another application when she heard a knock at the door.

"Hermione, it's Harry. Can I come in for a minute?"

"Sure, come on in. You know you don't need to knock...you can just walk in."

"Well...I wasn't sure, you normally don't keep your door closed. Anyway, Ginny told me...well, more like demanded...that I make sure you don't work late or work too hard. So I am here to make sure that you leave work now."

"Harry...I appreciate you coming to check on me, but I am a big girl and can take care of myself. I still have a lot of work to do," she pointed to the stack of papers on her desk as she spoke.

"Have you had any glasses of water in the past hour? In the past two hours?" Harry was no longer smiling as he spoke to her.

"Er...um...no," she said quietly.

"Hermione...I know how you were in school; you always pushed yourself too hard. But it isn't just you anymore, you have to think of the baby as well. Please, Hermione...come with me and we can floo out together. Ginny has cooked a large dinner, and we would love to have you come over tonight. You can have nappy changing practice with James."

"Oh...alright," she huffed. "But you can change the nappies yourself, Harry. I don't need practice; you just don't want to do it."

He ignored her last remark as he spoke. "Great, I'll let Ginny know your coming. Just meet me at the floos in ten minutes."

"Alright," Hermione said as she watched Harry walk out the door. As aggravated as she was that Harry demanded that she go home, she was happy that he and Ginny cared so much about her and the baby.

-ooOOoo-

_Severus sat up in bed and groaned. His head was pounding and he knew he had way too much to drink last night. He reached over to the bedside table to retrieve the hangover potion he always kept ready. It was then that he realised he wasn't in his own bed. He quickly turned over and noticed he wasn't alone in the bed, either._

_He looked at her as she slept soundly beside him. Her curls fanned around her head as she slept, and she had the slightest pucker to her lips as she breathed slowly. He realised that she had changed so much from the hand-raising know-it-all that he had taught at Hogwarts. She still wasn't beautiful in the classical sense, but he found her very attractive. _

_But sleeping with her? What possessed them to drink so much last night? They progressed quickly from conversation about potions, to his teaching at Hogwarts. As the drinks flowed, the conversation became much more personal. At one point, he vaguely remembered squeezing her hand, and it wasn't too much later when she invited him to her flat._

_His musing was interrupted when she opened her eyes slowly and looked at him. "Good morning," she said very quietly._

"_Good morning, although it isn't morning quite yet. It is still very early...about three am. I...uh...," he pulled at the sheets as he noticed her staring at his chest._

"_Awkward, isn't it?" Hermione pulled the sheets closer to her, the nervousness clearly showing._

"_Yes. I mean, I don't regret last night. Although parts of it are fuzzy, I had a wonderful time."_

"_Me, too. I enjoyed last night as well, but...gods...don't take this the wrong way, I'm not ready for anything. I mean a relationship, that is."_

"_I totally understand. Between teaching and research, I don't have time for a relationship. I am just starting new potions research for St. Mungo's as well."_

_They both stopped talking and simply stared at each other for a few minutes, not really knowing what to say._

"_Professor...Severus, this is so much more awkward than I would have imagined. It is going to be difficult seeing you after this. I mean staying professional, and acting like nothing happened. I'm sure I will be running into you quite often at the patents office, and I...," she sighed and shook her head, "why is this so difficult?"_

_Severus looked at her for a moment, then replied, "It doesn't have to be this awkward. I have an idea if you would like to consider it."_

Severus bolted up from his bed, sweaty and breathing hard. So much of that night had come back to him in his dreams last night. It had been his idea to obliviate them both, which, in retrospect, wouldn't have been such a bad idea if she wasn't pregnant. They would have just gone on with their lives as if nothing had happened.

_The pregnancy. _Well, that was just another thing that was explained as he started recovering more of his memories. He had taken the third dose of the potion two days ago, and the first memory he recovered was of them snogging in her apartment. As they started discarding clothing, he had asked her about contraception. She had quickly performed a contraceptive charm, but only now did he realise that she had been too intoxicated to perform the wand movements correctly.

He rubbed his temples and sighed. The conversation with Hermione was going to be difficult, and she would probably get angry...very angry. But they both had made so many mistakes that night, and she needed to know exactly what happened.

-ooOOoo-

Hermione waited patiently at the gates at Hogwarts. She did not know who would be meeting her, but she knew Severus would probably send Minerva if he was unable to. She had been pretty close to the Headmistress when she was apprenticing under Professor Snape, yet she had only visited her a few times since she had started working at the Ministry. She had really missed her, along with much of the staff at Hogwarts. She stopped her reminiscing as she saw Minerva walking towards the gate.

"Hermione...it is so good to see you! It has been far too long since you have visited." She looked down at Hermione's stomach, then back up at her and smiled. "But I see that you have had more important things going on in your life. Let's go on in...Severus is expecting you."

They talked about her pregnancy as they walked towards the dungeons, then talked briefly about the potions research that she was working on with Severus.

"That is amazing, Hermione. Neville has mentioned the improvement in his parents a few times after the staff meetings, but I really didn't know how much work you and Severus had put in at St. Mungo's."

They had talked the whole time they were walking, and before she realised it, she was in the dungeons outside Professor Snape's office.

"I'll just let you two talk now. Please, don't be a stranger, Hermione. Come by for a visit any time."

"Thank you, Minerva."

Hermione glanced nervously at the door to his office. She didn't know why, but she was especially nervous about meeting him today. His note was very vague, and only stated that he needed to meet with her as soon as possible, and he preferred to meet her at Hogwarts.

She knocked gently, then pushed open his office door. "Professor Snape? Severus?"

"Come in Miss Granger...we need to talk."

_Hmm...so it is Miss Granger again,_ she thought as she walked in. He was seated at his desk, but he did not have any research notes or student papers in front of him.

"Is this about the memory potion research?" She nervously bit at her lip as she asked him.

"No. Well, not exactly."

"If you are nervous about me working with you again...don't be. My healer-," she stopped suddenly as put his hand up to silence her.

"No, that is not it," he spoke very quietly. She noticed he seemed very nervous, and he tapped his fingers on his desk as he spoke. She was not used to seeing him nervous, and something about it really bothered her. He continued, "I need to talk to you about the night you were obliviated. Please sit down, this isn't going to be an easy conversation."

"Oh...okay." She sat down quickly, a feeling of dread suddenly coming over her.

"I know it was the night you went to the muggle bar."

"Oh, gods," she muttered as the color slowly drained from her face. She only glanced at him briefly before everything slowly went black in front of her.

* * *

_**A/N...Sorry for the cliffie, but it is necessary (insert evil, cackling smilie).**_

_**Next update may be a week or so... we are leaving for the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in less than two weeks, so I have a lot to do. Hopefully I can get the next chapter up before I leave, though.**_


	14. Chapter 13

_**The usual disclaimers apply...**_

_**A/N...Oh, no...please don't pull out the pitchforks...or hex me! But I am pleased as punch with all the reviews! It has given me inspiration to get another chapter out as quickly as possible (maybe even two if you are lucky).**_

_**All editing/grammar mistakes are my own. My unofficial beta did not have time to look at it for me. I guessed that you would rather have the chapter now instead of when I came back from vacation ;).**_

* * *

Chapter 13

Some Answers

He looked down at her, then sighed. _Of all times for her to faint._

"_Rennervate_," he pointed his wand at her as he spoke. He watched her closely, expecting her to start asking questions the moment she awoke. But after several minutes passed, and she still wasn't conscious, he started to become concerned. He reached down towards her neck to check her pulse, and realised it was much slower and much fainter than it should have been. He tentatively placed his hand on her stomach, and was both shocked and reassured when he felt a push back.

_Dammit, wake up Hermione!_

He quickly put his head in the floo, and called Minerva's office. He hoped she was actually in her office since she had the only floo that had access outside of Hogwarts. He was very relieved when she answered him.

"Yes, Severus?"

"Minerva, please help me with Miss Granger. She has fainted, and is not responding to _Rennervate._ I need to get her to St. Mungo's immediately."

"Oh. my. Bring her thru, then you can floo her to St. Mungo's from here."

Severus gently reached under her to pick her up, and cradled her to his body as he quickly stepped towards the floo. He was surprised by how light she was, considering she would be having the baby in just a couple of months. _Surely she is supposed to weigh more than this_, he gently chastised her in his thoughts. He stopped his musing as he felt gentle kicks against his chest where Hermione was cradled against him._ That is the baby...that is my daughter._

He arrived in Minerva's floo, but did not step out. Minerva had a concerned expression on her face as she spoke to him.

"I've sent my patronus to St. Mungo's to let them know you are coming. Please let me know how she is once you get there." She stopped for a moment, then gently grasped Severus's arm. "Please take good care of her."

Severus simply nodded, then quickly floo'd to St. Mungo's.

-ooOOoo-

Severus paced outside Hermione's room, waiting for an update from the Healer. After waiting almost ten minutes, the Healer finally came out to talk to him.

"Hello, Professor Snape," the Healer spoke cautiously.

Severus knew the Healer must have been a former student to address him so nervously.

"How is she? How is the...baby? I need to contact her...friends, and the Headmistress is concerned as well."

"She and the baby are fine. Her blood pressure was quite low and that is why she fainted; that is quite common during pregnancy. Stress and dehydration can contribute to it as well. We have given her fluids, and she can have visitors as long as long as they do not upset her. She is asleep at the moment, so I suggest waiting until morning so she can rest."

"Thank you. I will contact everyone and let them know how she is doing." He nodded, and walked towards the floos.

_She is going to be okay. The baby is going to be okay._ He let out a breath that he didn't know he had been holding. He had been so worried when he couldn't revive her in his office. He was concerned that something had been wrong with her or the baby. _The baby...my baby. _He had not had these type of feelings in many years; not since his parents...and Lily.

-ooOOoo-

Although it was late, Minerva was waiting for him as he stepped out of the floo. "How is she? Is the baby going to be okay? She seemed so excited about the baby when we were talking on the way to your office, earlier."

"She and the baby are going to be fine, Minerva. The healer told me that she fainted because her blood pressure was too low, and that it was quite common." Severus looked into Minerva's eyes, then suddenly felt very uncomfortable. "If that is all, I am quite tired and would like to retire to my quarters."

"Severus," she gently grasped his arm, "I know you care for Hermione. I think she is really enjoying working with you, and I know that you feel the same way. I think you both could use a really good friend right now, and possibly eventually more."

Severus pulled his arm slowly away from her. "Minerva...please. I am tired; it has been an exhausting day. Please contact the Potters and Miss Lovegood and let them know about Miss Granger. I bid you goodnight."

As Severus stepped out of the floo and into his quarters, he tried not to think about the much too perceptive Headmistress. Apparently, Minerva had the gift for interferring in others' lives just as much as Albus had.

-ooOOoo-

Hermione slowly opened her eyes, and realised she was not in her bed. As she quickly glanced around the room, she noticed she was at St. Mungo's. She tried to think back to the last thing she remembered...meeting Severus at his office at Hogwarts. _Oh, God, _she thought, as the conversation started to come back to her.

She started to get out of bed when one of the healers entered the room. "Hello, Miss Granger. I am Healer Parkinson, and I work with Healer Smythwick in the obstetrics department. Healer Smythwick is off today, so I will be taking care of you."

"What happened? The last thing I remember is being at Hogwarts. I had a meeting with Professor Snape."

"You fainted, and you were unresponsive when he tried to use _Rennervate_ on you. He brought you in last night. Before you ask, the baby is fine. But you do need to drink more water if you don't want this to happen again."

Hermione just sat there for a minute, trying to process everything the healer had told her. Severus must have been really worried when she did not awaken. She felt guilty for putting him through that, especially after only being released for a few days since her last hospitalization.

"Wait...did you say your name is Healer Parkinson? Are you any relation to Pansy Parkinson?"

"Yes, she is a distant cousin. I don't know her very well, though. I did not go to Hogwarts...I attended Beauxbatons." The healer gave her a reassuring smile.

"You will be able to leave this evening, and I will return in a little while to check on you and the baby. I believe Professor Snape is waiting outside to talk to you. Would you like me to go ahead and send him in?"

"Um...y-yes," she replied nervously.

A few seconds after the healer left, Severus came into her room. As he sat down beside her bed, she noticed the dark circles under his eyes.

"I...I did not mean to upset you so much last night, Miss Granger," he said in a voice much more reserved than his usual tone.

"Hermione."

"Pardon?"

"We agreed to be less formal. Please call me Hermione." She took a deep breath, then looked up at him nervously. "Tell me how you knew that my obliviated memories involved a pub. I have never spoken about it to anyone except to Harry."

"I have just recently remembered it," he glanced over at her shocked expression as he spoke. "Please let me start at the beginning, Hermione."

"O...okay."

"I began working on the memory potion, or at least the idea of the memory potion shortly after I was released from St. Mungo's after the war. I started noticing missing blocks of time, but I was unsure as to whether it was an after-effect of Nagini's bite, or from experiencing the cruciatus curse multiple times. I would often wake up, and then not remember what I had previously done. Most of the time it was just a few hours that were missing, but occassionally it would be a whole day. It happened quite often for about two years after I was bitten. I started working on the potion, but then quit work on it when the episodes stopped. It was only when I had an episode more recently that I began working on the potion again."

"So you didn't create the potion specifically for St. Mungo's, or for Neville's parents."

"No. It was entirely for selfish reasons, but when St. Mungo's expressed an interest in my research, I was more than pleased to try to help the patients and do potions trials."

Hermione studied him for a moment, before finally asking him another question. "But I have read all of your research notes. You never tested the potion on yourself. Or...or did you just not give me a copy of those notes?"

"I did not test it on myself until you were in the hospital. I did not know what type of memories I would recover, and," he paused momentarily, then spoke much softer, "I did not want to have to share those notes with you."

"So you have now recovered some of those memories?"

"Yes, not all of them, but parts of most of them."

Hermione started twisting the sheets of her bed nervously with her fingers. She chewed on her bottom lip for a moment, then looked up at him apprehensively. "How did you know that my obliviated memories were from the pub?"

"At first, I did not know. You could say that I started putting the puzzle pieces together. You told me you needed to recover an obliviated memory, then I accidentally overheard you talking to a healer when you were admitted to St. Mungo's the last time."

"What did you hear?"

"I heard you say that you did not know who the father of your baby was."

She blanched for a moment, "But that still doesn't explain-" She suddenly stopped when he interrupted her.

"At first it was just an educated guess based on all the information that you had told me, and that I had overheard. I wasn't certain, though, until I recovered some of my memories."

"So how did you know about the bar? Did you see me walk in? Did someone tell you that they saw me there?"

He took a deep breath before he replied, "I know because I was there."

* * *

_**A/N... A cliffie, but not quite as evil as the last time. Only pull out the pitchforks if I don't update before I go on vacation ;)**_

_**Just a quick reminder that I can't reply to anonymous reviews. Make sure you are signed in if you ask a question in the review. But I appreciate all the reviews...signed in or not!**_


	15. Chapter 14

_**The usual disclaimer applies...**_

_**A/N...I really struggled with this chapter, and the ending still isn't exactly the way I want it. I don't like where the chapter ended...but, it is what it is. Hopefully it will pass muster ;)**_

_**This is the last chapter before I head of to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. I'm so excited...we are having breakfast at the Three Broomsticks next week!**_

* * *

Chapter 14

About Last Night...

She closed her eyes tightly as she processed what he had just said, _'I know because I was there.' _A feeling of dread started to come over her as she finally began to realise what he was telling her. Although she knew the answer already, she had to ask.

"It was you wasn't it? I had dinner and drinks with you that night. I-," her voice was starting to shake too much to continue.

"Yes."

A few tears started to run down her cheek, and her voice was shaky as she spoke, "I...I don't know what to say. I've wanted to know, but I-." She continued to sob softly as she continued, "I'm sorry, Severus...this is just so much to take in." She sniffled softly as she looked up into his eyes to try and gauge his emotions.

"Yes, it is." He gave her just the smallest of smiles to try and reassure her as he spoke. "I've only had the memories for a few days, and I am still struggling to process it all." His voice was soft and soothing as he spoke to her.

Despite the tears, she tried to smile back at him. "I have had so many nightmares over what possibly could have happened that night, and it is a relief to know that they will finally stop." She paused for a second, obviously deep in thought, before she continued, "I...I would like to know what happened that night, um...besides the obvious." She blushed slightly as she rubbed her stomach gently.

"I thought you might." He reached into his robes and pulled out a small vial, handing it to her very carefully. "If you have access to a pensieve, this might be a little less embarrassing than trying to tell you everything." He blushed slightly, "The memories are incomplete, but I think there is enough here to answer all of your questions."

"I...thank you, Severus. Do you mind...if I take a day or two to process this all? I will come by your office to return these."

"That will be fine. I need to head back to Hogwarts, and you need to rest. I will see you soon, Hermione."

Hermione watched his long black robes billow slightly as he headed out of her room. She had just received the shock of her life, and her already sensitive emotions were now all over the place. She was relieved to know that she had not been raped; that the sex was consensual. But on the other hand, she had sex with her former professor, and he was now a colleague of sorts. _And we're going to have a baby together. _They still had not even discussed the baby.

She looked down and gently stroked her stomach, "I guess your daddy and I will need to have a talk about you, little one." She laid back in the bed, her last thoughts of a surly potions master as she drifted off to sleep.

-ooOOoo-

"Hermione. Hermione? Are you ready to go?"

"I'm sorry, Ginny. I've just got a lot on my mind. Yes, I'm ready. I think I've signed all the paperwork so I can leave." She nervously chewed on her lip as she glanced around the hospital room. Other than a few vases of flowers, she didn't have anything else to retrieve from her room.

"Hermione, what is wrong? You have been distracted ever since I arrived today. Spill it."

"I...I can't. Not yet anyway." She reached into her robes and felt the small vial in her pocket. "Do you think that Harry will let me borrow his pensieve again?"

Ginny gave her a questioning look, "Um...I'm sure he would, but why do you need it?"

"I...I was given some memories that may give me information about the night I was obliviated." Ginny started to speak, but Hermione continued, "Before you ask me any more questions...I need to see these memories. Then we can talk about it. Okay?"

Ginny huffed, "Okay. No more questions. But I am worried about you and the baby. Please take good care of yourself and try not to get too stressed. No matter what you learn from those memories."

"I promise. Now let's leave; I'm tired of hospitals," Hermione smiled at her as they walked out the door.

-ooOOoo-

Hermione stared at the pensieve that was on her coffee table. She was so thankful that Harry had loaned it to her without asking questions. _Ginny must have talked to him first._

She stared at the vial for a few seconds before slowly pouring it into the pensieve. She watched the silver swirl, then slowly lowered her head into the bowl.

It was startling at first, seeing herself from someone else's point of view, but she tried to get past the feeling quickly and focus on the memories.

_She was sitting at the bar, having a beer, when she was gently tapped on the shoulder. Before she could turn around, she heard a seductive voice say "I would love to buy you a drink, Miss..."_

_She turned around, and had opened her mouth to speak, then suddenly gasped, "Professor Snape!"_

She watched them talking at the bar, and ordering more drinks before the memory started to fade.

A new memory started, and she saw the two of them laughing at the bar. They both must have had a lot to drink, as she had her hand on his shoulder and was calling him 'Severus." He reached for her hand, and gently drew circles on it with one of his fingers. He leaned towards her and whispered something into her ear, and she watched her memory-self blush. She gasped as she watched herself invite him back to her house for a nightcap. She grasped his hand and led him to an alley, where he leaned into her and kissed her before they disapparated. _Nightcap, what was I thinking...we both already had too much to drink. Seriously, Hermione, you know what you were thinking, _and she blushed at that thought.

This memory slowly faded, and then changed into a memory from her flat. They were kissing and groping each other, and then they finally stumbled towards her bedroom. She watched as they quickly discarded their clothing as they approached her bed. She stared at the lust in the eyes of her memory-self. She cringed as she watched herself incorrectly perform the contraceptive charm. _So there is the answer to that question. I wasn't even sober enough to do a charm I could do in my sleep._

She blushed furiously as she watched herself in the throws of passion, clawing at his back and speaking his name as she reached her climax. She couldn't help but stare at the image of them in her bedroom mirror. She hadn't realised what a fine body that he kept hidden under his robes. She blushed again as she watched them have sex in the mirror reflection. Although the memory was from his point of view, they both seemed to really be enjoying themselves. _I can't believe I had very good sex, and can't even remember it._

The memory again faded, and she watched them talk awkwardly the next morning. _Hmm...so he was the one that suggested the obliviation. It wouldn't have been such a bad idea if I hadn't botched the contraceptive charm._

The memory stopped, and she slowly removed her face from the pensieve. Well, she had wanted answers and she definitely got them. Everything that happened that night was consensual, and she had agreed to be obliviated. She glanced down at her stomach as she felt a sudden kick.

"Oh, what do we do now, baby?" She rubbed the spot on her belly where the baby had kicked, and then sat down on her sofa. _Does he want to be a part of our lives? _She had a lot to think about before she would see him again.

-ooOOoo-

Luna dusted off her robes as she stepped out of Hermione's floo. "Hermione?" She looked around, and noticed the pensieve on the table. She called again, until she heard a faint response from the bedroom.

Hermione stepped out of the bedroom and gave Luna an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, I wasn't expecting you so soon. I must have dozed off."

Luna took in Hermione's rumpled clothes, and puffy eyes, then gently shook her head in consternation. "Hermione...it has been four hours since I received the owl. You must have really needed the sleep. What's wrong...the note seemed urgent?"

"Luna," she sighed deeply after she spoke. "I need an unbiased opinion, and as much as I love Ginny, I think you might be more honest with me. Would you like a cup of tea first?"

"No, I am fine. I'm assuming this has to do with the baby...or maybe the baby's father?"

"Oh, Luna...you have always been so perceptive. Yes, it has to do with the baby's father."

"Well, start from the beginning. You told me that he wouldn't be a part of her life, but you never said anything more than that."

Hermione smiled, even though a small tear was drifting down her cheek. "I've made such a mess of my life, Luna. Until yesterday, I did not know who the baby's father was. I met him at a muggle bar, and we both had too much too drink. At least that is what I assumed at first...I had no memories of anything from that night. I found out later on after borrowing Harry's pensieve that I had been obliviated."

Luna's eyebrows rose, "Oh, that must have been awful not knowing anything. I'm assuming that you have found out who it is now?"

"Yes," she paused momentarily, then continued, "It is someone I respect greatly and he obliviated us both since we were both so intoxicated. Unfortunately, neither one of us thought of the possible consequences to being obliviated." She rubbed her belly softly.

"It was Professor Snape, wasn't it?"

"How...how did you know?" Hermione had an expression of total shock on her face.

"Well, it is quite obvious after what you just told me. For one thing, you just said it was someone you greatly respect, and for another, he is probably one of the few wizards that can perform the wand-work of a double obliviation."

Hermione was momentarily surprised, not knowing what to say. If she didn't know better, she would think that Luna had a gift for divination.

Luna smiled brightly as she continued, "It is a good thing that it is Professor Snape since he already cares about you and the baby. He was so worried when you were hospitalized; he was still in the waiting area even after I left."

"But do you think he cares enough to be involved in her life? I never pictured him as the fatherly type, and as for me...well, I don't know if he will ever be over Harry's mum. I...I was just a one-night drunken folly that fulfilled his needs."

"Hermione, do you really think that if you were just a one-time fling with him, that he would visit you repeatedly at the hospital? You two were getting closer even before he remembered that night."

"Oh, Luna. I just don't know. Now that I know he is her father, I really would like him to be a part of our lives. I just don't want to get my hopes up, though."

"Talk to him," Luna pulled Hermione into a reassuring hug. "I really do have a good feeling about this."

* * *

_**A/N...I am not too happy with the latter half of the chapter. I have re-written it several times, and I still think there are flow issues. I've already written part of the next chapter, and hopefully it will read a bit better.**_

_**There will start to be more Severus/Hermione action now that they both know, but it won't be smooth sailing just yet.**_

_**Like always, I appreciate all the reviews...keep them coming!**_


	16. Chapter 15

_**The usual disclaimer applies. I make nothing from this.**_

_**A/N...Sorry for the delay, but I have only been back from Universal Studios/The Wizarding World of Harry Potter for a few days. Traveling with three kids is exhausting (but Harry Potter was awesome...I highly recommend it). Sorry for any grammatical and/or Britpicking errors. I am tired and this is probably not up to my usual editing standard.**_

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Chapter 15

Conversations and Truths

Hermione paced outside the door for several minutes, trying desperately to calm the butterflies in her stomach. She had planned for hours the conversation she would have with Severus, but now that she stood outside his office door, she was having second thoughts. She took one last steadying breath then knocked lightly.

"Enter," the stern voice from inside echoed in the corridor. She was shocked that his 'Professor' voice could still make her as nervous as a first year.

He was sitting at his desk, marking papers, but his expression softened considerably when he saw it was her. He quickly raised his wand and locked and warded the door as she sat down.

"Hello, Severus," she gnawed slightly on her lip before continuing, "I believe these belong to you." She gently placed the vial of memories on his desk.

"Thank you, Miss-Hermione. I hope most of your questions were answered." His cheeks blushed slightly as he spoke.

"Yes...er, no. I mean, I think everything about that night is answered, but we do need to talk some more. We never discussed the baby." Her voice shook slightly as she spoke. She was so nervous that Severus would want nothing to do with the baby. "Would you...do you want to be involved in her life? I know it is a lot to take in, and you don't have to if you don't want-," she stopped suddenly as he started to speak.

"Yes, I would like to try," he replied in a soft and reassuring voice.

"Wait...you would? What do you mean by 'try'?" As excited as she was by him saying 'yes', she was confused by him saying 'try'. It was obvious by the expression on her face that she was confused.

"Hermione, I have lived on my own since I was seventeen, and have had very few friends in my lifetime. As you are well aware, thanks to Potter, I have had very few romantic entanglements. I always thought that I would not live as long as I have, and never thought of children as a possibility...ever. I am not easy to get along with, and I do have quite a temper. But I would like the chance to be a part of my daughter's life, and maybe get to know her mother a little better as well." He gave her a small smile, and gently grasped her hand as he spoke.

"I would like that as well," she paused as she wondered whether to continue with her thoughts. "I have been so envious of Ginny these past few months. She had Harry to support her during her pregnancy and delivery, and I've done everything alone so far. Well, I mean Ginny and Luna have been there for me, but it just isn't the same. Would you...would you want to go with me to my next healer appointment at St. Mungo's?" She knew she was taking a risk by asking him, but she felt like the conversation was going well enough to take the chance.

"Yes, I would. But are you sure you are ready for this? If I go with you to St. Mungo's, or even meet you there, it will be in the Prophet within a day."

"Severus, if you are going to be involved in her life, then it will be disclosed at some point, anyway. Other than talking to Harry and Ginny beforehand, I am more than ready. I've taken the past two days to think about this, and I really do want you to be in our lives if you would like to be."

Severus was just about to reply to her when they heard voices in the corridor outside his office. "That would be the Hufflepuff-Ravenclaw fifth years. Class starts in five minutes, and I need to unlock and unward the door. Just let me know when your next appointment is. Goodbye, Hermione."

"I will owl you to let you know. Goodbye, Severus."

Hermione walked out of his office and headed towards the stairs. She was surprised that the visit with Severus had gone as well as it had. She had expected him to be at the very least somewhat reluctantly involved in her..._their._..daughter's life. Realistically, she was expecting him to not want to be involved at all. She hadn't expected him to be excited about it, or at least as excited as Severus ever gets about anything. She had a smile on her face until a thought popped into her head...Harry. _Oh, God...now I have to tell Harry and Ginny._

-ooOOoo-

Hermione looked at herself in the mirror after she had gotten dressed. Her shirt was snug-fitting, and emphasized her almost seven-month belly, but it looked good with her maternity jeans. She really disliked robes, and was thankful that Harry and Ginny wore muggle clothes in their home as well. She finished braiding her hair and took one last look at herself in the mirror before heading to the floo. "Here goes nothing," she muttered to herself as she threw the floo powder as she stepped in.

She stepped out of the floo and was greeted by Ginny holding a drooling, but happy James. "Hello, Hermione," she hugged Hermione gently as she spoke. "You've...grown...since the last time I saw you," she gently patted Hermione's belly.

"I have. I think she has gone through a growth spurt in the past couple of weeks. I will know for sure in two days when I go back to my healer."

She followed Ginny over to the sofa and they both waited for Harry to come down the stairs. "So, what is so important that you had to send your Patronus instead of an owl? Is it related to borrowing the pensieve last week?"

Hermione sighed. _This is not going to be easy. _"Yes, Harry, it is. I know who the baby's father is, and that is why I borrowed the pensieve. He gave me his memories of that night."

"What? Why did he wait until now to do so? I don't like this, Hermione." Ginny spoke in an authoritative voice that sounded remarkably like Molly Weasley.

"It's complicated, Ginny. I've only had a few days to process all of this myself, but I really need to tell you both before it comes out in the Prophet."

"Comes out in the Prophet? Why would it come out in the Prophet? Is he that much of a scumbag that he would take it to the paper? Is he blackmailing you, Hermione?" Harry's voice was thunderous.

"No, it isn't like that at all. He is going to be going with me to my next Healer appointment, and we are both guessing that it will make it in the paper then. So if you will both calm down, I will tell you everything, okay?"

"Okay," they both replied in unison.

"First of all, he hasn't kept anything from me. He had no memory of that night himself until very recently. Apparently he obliviated both of us that night," and she glanced at Harry before she continued, "with my permission to do so. And yes, Harry, I saw the memory of me agreeing to it."

"Wait a minute...if he was obliviated as well-"

"Harry, let me finish. I am getting to that part, okay? You do remember that I am doing research with Severus on a potion that can restore memories lost from obliviations and cruciatus. The memories were recovered after he had several doses of the potion. That is why he wasn't able to tell me before now."

"Please tell me that you aren't just taking everything he told you at face value? I mean, do you really trust the memories he gave you. I can tell you as an Auror that it isn't that hard to tamper with a memory." Harry had gotten up from the sofa and began pacing around the room.

"I know Harry, but I trust him implicitly. He would have no need to fabricate memories; this situation is just as awkward for him as it is for me."

Ginny suddenly looked at Hermione with a curious expression on her face. "Hermione, when did you get the memories? I don't remember you discussing them before you were admitted to the hospital the last time."

Hermione had a feeling that Ginny was beginning to put two plus two together, but she answered her anyway, "I was given them while I was in the hospital, the day before I was discharged."

"Oh, God, Hermione," Hermione watched her expression change to shock, knowing that she figured it out. "The only visitor you had that day besides James and I was Professor Snape!"

"Professor Snape? It was Professor Snape, Hermione? How could you?" Harry roared.

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_**A/N...Well, there it is. Lots of conversation, but not much action. A little shorter than I had anticipated, but this was a good place to break up the chapters. Hopefully it was worth the wait.**_

_**It will probably be a week or so before I can update again...I'm trying to get out another chapter of Prisoner 5273 by the end of this week as well. Hopefully everything will settle back down next week.**_

_**Like always, reviews are appreciated!**_


	17. Chapter 16

_**Anything you recognise is not mine, and I do not make any money from this.**_

_**A/N...Sorry for the delay, real life got in the way. I tried to get this up as quickly as possible, so there might be more errors than usual. I apologise in advance ;)**_

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Chapter 16

To Tell the Truth

"How could I?" Hermione exploded, waving her finger in front of Harry's face. "The last time I checked, it took two to make a baby. We were both drunk...we went to my flat and had _sex_." She watched Harry blanch, then continued. "I believe that is how you make a baby, Harry."

"But, Hermione...Professor Snape? You know...greasy hair, large nose...an unpleasant git all around. Even drunk I couldn't see how he could be appealing in the least bit."

"He is not like that any more and you know it!" She was practically yelling at him by this point. "What is your problem, anyway, Harry? Up until tonight you have been spouting his praises and literally worshiping the ground he walks on. 'Bravest man I have ever known' and all that. In fact you mentioned something about naming your next son after him."

"He is not a very pleasant man, Hermione. He was a Death Eater and had a very bad childhood. I've seen his memories, remember? I may admire what he did in the war, but he is still the same unpleasant man that taught us potions. I don't want to see you, or the baby for that matter, get hurt."

"He isn't like that anymore, Harry. I have told you this even before I found out the baby...when I was still his apprentice. You seemed to understand, then. What has changed, and I want the truth, Harry."

"I...I never told you about all the memories he gave me that night in the Shrieking Shack, Hermione. He loved...and probably still loves...my mother. Everything he did in the war...changing sides, becoming a spy...was because of her. Hell, he even has a doe Patronus like she had." Harry was still pacing the room in front of Hermione the whole time he spoke. "I'm worried you are going to become involved with him because of the baby. You will get hurt when you realise he can't give his heart to you."

"She...it...it was her?" Hermione had a shocked and confused expression on her face. "When I was an apprentice, he mentioned that he was friends with your mother in school. He said that my thought processes were very similar to hers in potions. I...I...never realised that there was more to it." She paused for a moment, trying to gather her thoughts, before she spoke to Harry again. "It doesn't matter, though, Harry. We didn't talk about having a relationship when were talking about the baby. He is going to go to my next healer appointment, and try to be more involved with the pregnancy. He wants to try and be a father to her. That is all, really."

She didn't mention to Harry that he had also said that he wanted to get to know her better. He never really clarified what he meant by that. But after this conversation with Harry tonight, she was pretty sure that he just meant as a friend. It didn't sound like he was interested in being in any type of romantic relationship.

Ginny had been sitting on the sofa, quiet during the whole conversation up until this point. "Hermione, you may say that you don't want a relationship...that he doesn't want a relationship. But you may not really have a choice. The pregnancy will bring you closer together. Harry and I were already very close before I got pregnant with James, but going to healer appointments together...listening to the baby's heartbeat...seeing the baby...that will change things. There is no way it won't."

"Ginny-," Hermione started to speak, but was quickly interrupted by Ginny.

"Hermione...I want you to be happy. I would love for you to be happily married, and have a father for the baby...for Eleanor. I hope Professor Snape can be that father for Eleanor, but I am worried that you will get hurt if you end up wanting more with him. Just please...be careful. For both of you."

She walked over to Hermione and gave her a big hug. "I love you, Hermione...and Harry does as well. This is a lot to take in, but we will be there for you. Even if being there for you also includes Professor Snape."

"Thank you, Ginny. It is late, and I need to be heading back home. Harry...Ginny, you've both given me a lot to think about as well. My healer appointment is in just a couple of days, and Severus said he would go with me. I will talk to you again after the appointment."

She realised she was very tired as she stepped into the floo, but she really doubted she would get much sleep. Harry and Ginny had given her a lot to think about, and she was sure that would keep her up a good portion of the night.

-ooOOoo-

Severus had been dreading this day for almost a week, but he had no choice...he had to tell her before she read about it in the Prophet. He'd rather his teeth be knocked out than to have to discuss anything personal with the Headmistress. Hermione had been one of her favorite students, and they still talked occasionally. But he knew there was a good chance he would be jobless if she read about his involvement with Hermione in the paper. The Prophet would probably do a hatchet job with the story, and then Minerva would probably do the same to him. He groaned as he approached the gargoyle outside the office.

"Haggis," he muttered, and then slowly walked up the steps to her office. _At least her passwords aren't ridiculous sweets_, he thought quietly as he approached her door.

"Come in, Severus," she called from her desk.

He slowly approached her desk, and took a seat in front of her, where misbehaving students usually sat. He picked at small bits of lint that were stuck to his robes, and fidgeted slightly in his seat.

"You seem as nervous as a first year awaiting punishment, Severus. What is so urgent that I had to reschedule my morning to meet with you?" Although the words were blunt, she had a slightly amused expression on her face.

He sighed slightly as he started to speak, "There have been some recent developments in my personal life that will probably become public in the next few days. I wanted to disclose the information to you before it was portrayed inaccurately in the Daily Prophet."

"What could you have possibly done, or will be doing, that would interest the Prophet enough to publish it, Severus?"

"I will be going with Miss Granger...Hermione...to her next healer appointment for the baby. I'm sure the Prophet will spin quite a story."

Minerva gave him a small smile, then put a hand on his shoulder as she spoke. "Severus, I could tell that day that you took her to St. Mungo's that you cared about her. I'm glad you are going to be there since she has been alone her entire pregnancy. It is a shame that the father never wanted to be involved."

Severus's face fell as he realised that this conversation wasn't going quite the way he had anticipated. Now he had to tell Minerva that he was the _uninvolved father_, not just filling in the role for Hermione's baby. And, yes, he did care for her...but that was going to be a conversation for another day. Now he just had to figure out what to tell Minerva now.

"Minerva, there is more to that I need to tell you...a lot more. Promise me that you will hold your tongue until I finish; it is quite complicated."

"I promise, Severus," but she had a questioning look on her face as she waited for him to explain.

"I am going with Hermione to the healer appointment...and to the rest of her appointments because the baby is mine. Before your temper goes through the roof, I did not know that the baby was mine until a couple of weeks ago. I would have been involved if I had known." He paused for a second, trying to mentally prepare himself for the rest that he would have to tell her. "It was just the one night, and let's just say that it involved quite a bit of alcohol and a badly thought out double obliviation."

Minerva had a resigned look on her face, "Severus...how could you? She was a former student, and your apprentice. What were you thinking?"

"Obviously I wasn't that night." He started twisting his fingers in his robes, trying to hide his slightly blushing face. "But it is in the past, and I am going to try to be there for her and the baby. I am going to be there for any appointments that she would like for me to attend. I want to be a father to my daughter, Minerva."

"Oh, Severus," Minerva sighed softly, "although this obviously wasn't planned, I am so happy for you. I think after all these years, you deserve happiness. I hope that you and Hermione are able to work things out and be parents...together, for your daughter. After the war-," her voice started to crack slightly before Severus interrupted her.

"Minerva, I don't want to talk about the war ...it is in the past. We do not need to talk about those years. We all did what we had to do. I never thought I would live long enough to have a family, but now that I have that chance, I want to do the best I can."

"Severus, I hope everything goes well for the both of you. Let me know if there is anything I can do for you or Hermione."

"Thank you, Minerva. I...appreciate your understanding." He gave her a brief smile before heading out the office door.

* * *

_**A/N...I am not sure how long this will be, but I'm guessing at least twenty-five chapters. I think we are at least past the half-way point, though.**_

_**I sort of know how I would like it to end, but I am debating what type of epilogue, if I do one. I guess I'll see how the story plays out, first.**_

_**Thank you again for all the awesome reviews! Over 200...I am flattered!**_


	18. Chapter 17

_**The usual disclaimer applies. I own nothing you recognize and make no money from this.**_

_**A/N...Sorry for the delay. As usual, real life keeps getting in the way.**_

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Chapter 17

Realisations

Hermione stepped out of the floo and quickly dusted the excess floo powder off her robes. She really missed apparition; it was so much more convenient and less messy than floo travel. But now that she was within five weeks of her due date, her healer had forbidden apparation because it could put her into labor. And labor would be very bad since she would have a caesarian section due to her placenta previa.

She walked to the clinic sign-in area at St. Mungo's, then sat down to wait for Severus. She was almost ten minutes early, but her nerves were slightly frazzled since this would be the first appointment that he would attend with her. He had many roles in her life through the years...teacher, fellow Order member, and most recently, master to her apprentice. But she was struggling to come to grips with the newest role...father to her daughter.

She glanced at the clock and realised her appointment was in less than two minutes, and there was still no sign of Severus. Her healer called her back, and right as she was about to give up on him, he quickly strode towards them.

"I am sorry that I'm late; one of the Slytherins had a family emergency, and I had a difficult time getting away." Even slightly out of breath, he had a voice that commanded respect.

"That is okay; you are here now, and that is what matters," she said quietly to him, offering a timid smile.

She climbed up on the exam table as Healer Smythwick pulled out her parchment and quill. "How are you doing, Hermione? Any more dizziness or bleeding since your last visit?"

"No, I'm actually doing quite well, I guess. Well, other than the horrid heartburn and some of those Braxton-Hicks contractions."

"Good. I can give you a pregnancy-safe script for the heartburn. I'm a little worried about the Braxton-Hicks contractions, though. How many are you having during a four hour span? If it is more than ten, that could aggravate the placenta previa and cause bleeding."

"No, I'm not having them that often," she quickly offered.

"Good, good. I'm going to perform the spell so that I can visualise the baby and see the placenta. I'll need you to lift up your shirt for this part," she glanced over at Severus, then back at Hermione as she spoke, "Would you prefer to be alone for this part of the examination?"

"Severus is the baby's father. I would like for him to stay, well, that is if he would like to." She gnawed on her lip as she waited for his response.

"I...I would like to stay," he said firmly.

"Very well," the Healer smiled at him, "You will able to hear the baby's heartbeat as well. It should have slowed down by this point in the pregnancy. It should be around 120 beats per minute, which is much slower than in early pregnancy."

Hermione felt the slight tingle as the healer performed the spell. Even though this wasn't the first time, she was still in awe at seeing the image of her daughter, and hearing her heartbeat. She looked at the image and was amazed at how much her daughter had grown. She watched as the baby turned slightly and then kicked gently with one of her long legs.

She glanced over at Severus, and noticed his facial expression had not changed that much. He was gazing at the image intensely, but there was no obvious emotion on his face..._except in his eyes. _His eyes were glossy with what could only be unshed tears.

A smile started to form on Hermione's face until she glanced at Healer Smythwick. Her healer had a worried look on her face, and then performed a spell that rotated the image of the baby. As excited as Hermione was to see her baby again, she was concerned by the silence in the room.

"Is everything okay?"

"The baby is fine...her heartbeat is perfectly normal, and her size is perfect for this point in your pregnancy. But I am worried about the placenta previa. Your cervix has already started to dilate, and I think we need to schedule your caesarian section earlier than we had discussed. Your activity level will have to be decreased as well."

"Why is that?" Severus had asked the same question that Hermione had been thinking.

The healer looked at both of them, then spoke carefully. "If Hermione was to go into labour before her caesarian, the contractions could squeeze dangerously on the placenta. The blood flow to the baby could be reduced, and if the placenta was squeezed too hard during contractions, it could cause extreme blood loss. It is extremely dangerous, and occasionally fatal for the mother and the baby."

Hermione and Severus both had horrified looks on their faces. Hermione was the first to recover enough to speak. "If it is that dangerous, wouldn't it be better to take the baby now?"

"Possibly. Let me explain. The baby's lungs aren't totally developed yet, so it would be better to deliver no earlier than 37 weeks. That is just two more weeks. So if your activity can be restricted, to where the risks are minimal, the preference is to wait until her lungs are fully developed."

Hermione chewed on her lip as she carefully thought about the healer's recommendations. "So what exactly do I need to do?"

"Bedrest is preferred. Only get up long enough to make trips to the bathroom and for meals. If you need anything else, see if you can have friends or family stay with you throughout the next two to three weeks."

Hermione nodded, "I think my friend Ginny could stay with me part of the time, and maybe Luna when she doesn't have to work."

Hermione was shocked when Severus spoke up. "I am available some evenings as well as weekends. I also have some open class periods that vary during the week."

Healer Smythwick smiled slightly, "It sounds like you have it covered, Hermione. Since you are so close to delivering, I would like you to come every week now. We'll schedule your caesarian section for three weeks from now unless something changes at one of your visits."

As the healer left the exam room, Hermione couldn't help but let the tears flow that she had been suppressing for most of the exam. She looked over at Severus, and noticed how tense he seemed.

He walked over towards the exam table, and she threw her arms around him as she started to sob.

"Oh, Severus...I am so scared," she sniffled into his chest. "What if I go into labour before my caesarian? I can't lose her, I just can't!"

After she finally started to calm down after a few minutes, he finally spoke to her. "It will be okay, Hermione. You'll both be okay."

-ooOOoo-

Severus sipped on his tea as he gazed around the unfamiliar sitting room. Although he had been here once before, he had little memory of it due to the combination of alcohol and the obliviate he had performed on himself.

He gazed at the mantel and saw the wizarding photos of her friends. He snorted slightly as he gazed at a photo taken at Hogwarts, probably in Hermione's first or second year. It was of Harry, Ron, and Hermione waving towards the camera, standing in front of Hagrid's hut. He saw that she had photos of several friends from Hogwarts, then his eyes focused at the one picture that was not a wizarding photo. It was an older couple, but it was obvious from looking at the features that they were Hermione's parents. He wasn't sure why, but he felt a touch of sadness as he realised that they wouldn't be there for her when she had the baby. Their granddaughter. _His daughter. _

He put his cup down in the kitchen and began exploring her flat. He noticed that her hallway was lined with bookshelves, and her collection probably rivaled his own. He continued walking towards the master bedroom, hoping that she was still resting. He quietly opened the door and saw that she was still asleep, and then he paused momentarily to study her.

She was laying on top of the covers on her side, and her hair was fanned out around her. Her eyes were still red rimmed from crying earlier, but other than that she looked peaceful. His gaze traveled down to the swell of her stomach, and he couldn't help but smile as he thought of the baby that grew inside. Despite everything that had happened in his life, he was going to be a father. Even though he believed he didn't deserve her, he was going to do everything in his power to be a good father.

He continued to observe her as she changed positions in her sleep. He realised as he watched her sleep, that sometime in the past few months, he had began to care for her. Even before he knew that the baby was his, he had been protective of her. It suddenly dawned on him that he didn't just want to be in his daughter's life, but he wanted to be in Hermione's as well.

* * *

_**A/N...We are getting pretty close to the end; only a few more chapters before the epilogue. I'm hoping to have this finished by the end of August, because my life will be much busier then. **_

_**Hopefully this reads okay. I have been struggling with continuity on a few chapters, and this was one of them.**_


	19. Chapter 18

_**The usual disclaimers apply. I make nothing from this and everything you recognise belongs to the talented JK Rowling.**_

_**A/N...Sorry that I keep getting slower with the updates. My kids are back in school again and we aren't in a routine yet. I will try my best to not go much more than a week without an update.**_

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Chapter 18

Dancing Around Feelings

Hermione stretched slowly as she woke up. She was a little stiff, and as she looked down at her legs and saw that she had slept in her clothes, the memories from the day started to come back. She had been put on bed rest again, and this time, until the baby was born. Severus had gone with her to the appointment, and had held her after she was told the bad news. _Oh, gods...what he must think of me...falling apart like that._

Although he had comforted her after the appointment, and brought her back to her flat, she knew it was out of concern for his daughter. She knew that he was concerned for her own health, but had no expectations about a relationship with him after her talk with Harry a few weeks ago. But when he embraced her at the healer's appointment, she felt a small spark of something that was unfamiliar to her. _But maybe, just maybe..._her thoughts started to wander into a dangerous direction. _Don't go there, it isn't possible_; she admonished herself.

She quickly straightened her robes and walked into the sitting room. She startled slightly when she saw Severus sitting on her sofa. She knew she wasn't supposed to be left alone, but it was still surprising to her that he stayed.

"Severus, I'm surprised you are still here. I thought you normally did research tonight."

"Yes, but it can wait until tomorrow. Sit down, Hermione. You know that your healer doesn't want you to move around much." He moved off the sofa so she could stretch out on it. "Would you like a cup of tea or coffee?"

"No, thank you. But I should probably have a glass of water to stay hydrated, though."

He returned from the kitchen and handed her the glass of water, but she noticed that he seemed to be preoccupied.

"Severus, are you okay? Your mind seems to be somewhere else."

He paused for a moment, looking slightly uncomfortable, before he finally spoke. "I hope you don't mind, but while you were sleeping I used your floo to contact Miss Lovegood. She will stay with you tomorrow. I need to get back to Hogwarts to grade some papers, but I will contact you tomorrow. Good evening, Hermione."

"Good evening, Severus."

She watched as he walked towards the floo, and a last minute thought came to her. "Wait, Severus!"

He turned towards her, looking at her questioningly. "Yes?"

"Thank you for today. For going with me to the appointment...for everything." She knew she was blushing slightly, but she didn't care, not tonight, anyway.

He looked at her and simply gave her a curt nod as he stepped into the floo. She knew that she probably embarrassed him by thanking him, but she needed to let him know how much she had appreciated today.

She curled up on the sofa and grabbed a book from the side table. She tried to read, but she just couldn't focus. She was glad that Luna was going to stay with her tomorrow. She hadn't seen Luna in more than a week, and she missed Luna's unique perspective on life. But as much as she loved Luna, a small part of her wished it was Severus that was staying with her tomorrow.

-ooOOoo-

Hermione sat on her sofa with her legs propped up, staring at her slightly swollen ankles. As much as she loved her daughter growing within her, she was tired of being pregnant. She felt guilty that she couldn't do anything around her flat and had to rely on help from others. She was also tired of all the physical aspects of the pregnancy...the aches and pains, the constant trips to the bathroom, the Braxton-Hicks contractions, and now...the swollen ankles. She was distracted from her musings as Luna approached her carrying a small tray of sandwiches.

"I wasn't sure what kind you would want, so I made several," Luna smiled as she sat down beside Hermione. "While you are eating I will go over the schedule that I worked out with Ginny and Severus."

Hermione almost choked on her sandwich as she stared at Luna with wide eyes. "You contacted Severus?"

"Yes. Is there a problem? I thought you said that he would stay with you as well. I floo-called him earlier when you were taking a nap."

"No, no," she tried to talk despite the slight coughing fit. "I'm just surprised, that is all. He isn't always the easiest to talk to."

"Really? I've never had a problem talking to him. Maybe it was because I was in Ravenclaw, and he wasn't as prejudiced against us as he was the Gryffindors. But anyway, he was very polite and he told me what times he could help. Here is the schedule we have worked out, and it looks like everything is covered for the next two weeks." She handed Hermione the schedule as she headed back to the kitchen.

Hermione studied the schedule and almost gasped as she looked it over. Ginny was on there almost everyday until dinner time, which wasn't surprising. And Luna would be there the weekends when she wasn't working on _The Quibbler. _But she was shocked that Severus was on the schedule almost every evening after Ginny left, and even on there a few mornings during his open class periods. She felt a tightness in her chest when she realised how truly involved he was becoming. Only when Luna returned from the kitchen did she realise she had been staring at the schedule with a thoughtful expression on her face.

"Hermione?" Luna looked over at Hermione with a slight smile.

"Yes?" Hermione tried to continue staring at the schedule, but she knew that Luna was about to get personal. She was just way too perceptive sometimes.

"You really care about him, don't you?"

"Oh, Luna. I guess I do. I promised myself not to get too attached since he doesn't feel the same way about me. But I can't help it...he has been so good to me since he found out he was her father. Before that, even."

"Do you love him?"

Hermione paused for a moment, thinking about how to answer that question. "No, not yet, but I do care about him. But I don't think it would take much for me to fall in love with him."

-ooOOoo-

Severus sat in front of the fireplace, drinking his second..._or was it third_...firewhiskey. He knew that drinking to excess never helped things, but having a drink or two sometimes helped his decision making.

He was still mad at himself for not talking to Hermione when he had the chance yesterday. She even noticed he was acting differently, yet he changed topics rather than making either one uncomfortable with the conversation. He knew that he needed to talk to her before she had the baby, and he was quickly running out of time. He needed to let her know that he wasn't just interested in being a father, but that he wanted to get to know her better as well. Maybe they would just be friends, or hopefully even more...but he knew he definitely wanted to keep her in his life.

-ooOOoo-

Hermione tossed and turned in her bed, unable to get comfortable due to her large belly and the pressure it was putting on her bladder. Her thoughts kept going back to her conversation with Luna earlier in the day. She kept replaying the end of the conversation with Luna.

"_Do you love him?"_

_Hermione paused for a moment, thinking about how to answer that question. "No, not yet, but I do care about him. But I don't think it would take much for me to fall in love with him."_

She didn't want to have unrealistic expectations of Severus, and she really wished that Harry had not told him so much about Severus's relationship with Lily. She really wanted to believe that Severus could want both her and the baby. Some of the touches and looks that he had given her made her wonder if he might be interested as well. Her thoughts were interrupted as she felt a sharp kick in her ribs.

She rubbed her hand gently over her belly, and smiled. "We will talk to daddy tomorrow. We need to let him know that we both need him."

She fell asleep with her hands cradling her belly, and a smile still on her face.

* * *

_**A/N...Just talk, dammit. It seems a lot would be fixed if they would just communicate with each other.**_

_**Sorry this chapter was so short. It was either stop here, or have a way too long chapter. This seemed to be a nice breaking point, though.**_

_**I anticipate maybe another 3-4 chapters at most, including the epilogue. Hopefully I can have this story concluded sometime in September. If my kids don't drive me nuts, that is.**_


	20. Chapter 19

_**The usual disclaimer applies...**_

_**A/N...My muse insisted I work on this story, despite having so much to do at home. So enjoy this a few days early!**_

* * *

Chapter 19

Back Aches

Hermione forced her eyes open, then winced at the pain in her back as she sat up. It had been several weeks since she had slept well at night, and now that she was in her eighth month of pregnancy, it seemed that it probably wouldn't happen again until after her daughter was born. She snorted lightly to herself as she realised that with middle of the night feedings, it would probably be a year or more before she slept good at night.

Despite the back ache, she knew she had to get up before Ginny arrived at her flat. She waddled slowly towards the closet and pulled out a comfy, but stretchy pair of maternity jeans and a very large tee shirt. She wouldn't look good, but comfort was all she was aiming for today. She knew that Ginny had seen her in probably worse.

She slowly made it towards the sitting room, when she realised that Ginny already had a seat on her sofa.

"Gin...you're here much earlier than I expected," she mumbled sleepily.

"Earlier? Hermione, it is already ten o'clock. You've slept the morning away."

"Well, I haven't been sleeping good lately, and my back has really been bothering me the past few hours."

Ginny's eyes perked up as Hermione spoke. "What kind of back ache, Hermione? You know that back aches can indicate early labour. Are you having any more Braxton-Hicks contractions?"

"I don't think it is that kind of back ache. I actually haven't had more than four or five a day the past couple of days. I think it is just the normal pregnancy type of back aches. Maybe it is because she is lower...lately all she does is sit on my bladder and make me run to the loo constantly."

Ginny smiled at her, "Ah, yes...well I remember those days not-so-fondly. By the time she is here and you are feeding her every two hours, you'll realise that you didn't have it so bad after all. It has just now gotten to where James will sleep for a four hour stretch at night."

"Where is James, by the way?"

"Oh, I transfigured a chair into a portable cot and he is sleeping in your guest room. Or I guess I should call it your library," Ginny laughed as she spoke. "Surely with nothing to stare at but shelves of books, he should take a really long morning nap."

"Ha, ha, Ginny," Hermione started to laugh, but then winced as the back pain was suddenly a bit sharper.

"Hermione, are you okay? Do you need me to contact your healer?"

"I'm fine, Ginny. Really. I think I just pulled something a bit when I laughed. I'll try to put my feet up and take it easier from now on."

"If you say so," Ginny replied as she walked towards the kitchen. "I know it is kind of late, but what do you want for breakfast? Or would you prefer lunch now?"

"Hmm," Hermione thought for a moment, "I'm not really hungry...maybe just a piece of toast with some strawberry jam?"

As Hermione ate, she watched Ginny pull a small bag out of her jeans pocket. When she enlarged it, Hermione was able to tell that it was a bag of baby clothes. "I hope you don't mind, but I brought over some stuff that James had worn, and thought you might want to use some of the neutral stuff for Eleanor." She thought for a second and smiled at Hermione, "that is if you don't mind second hand clothing."

"Mind? Not only would I not mind, I would love it. But won't you need it for the next baby you have?"

"Well, of course! You can just give them back to me then, then I can give them back when you have another baby."

The smile faded from Hermione's face as she processed what Ginny had just said. "I'm pretty sure having Eleanor is a one-off. For one thing, this pregnancy has not been easy, but the biggest reason is that I am not married and doubt I ever will be."

"What are you talking about? You are still really young, I'm sure you will meet somebody that you will want to marry eventually."

Hermione gnawed on her lip, and nodded her head. "I doubt it, Ginny. What wizard is going to want to date a witch with a baby? I just don't see it happening." She sighed as she was about to make a big confession to Ginny. "Also, I'm wanting it to be Severus, if I am really honest with myself. I know realistically there is no chance of us getting together, but he has been so wonderful these past few weeks."

"Oh, Hermione," Ginny simply shook her head sadly.

-ooOOoo-

Hermione awoke from her afternoon nap to the sound of a baby crying. She knew it must be James, yet she didn't see Ginny or baby James. She gently moved off the bed, wincing slightly as her back protested, and walked towards the sitting room.

"Ginny, is everything alright? I heard James crying and it sounds like he is in pain." She noticed that even as she asked Ginny the question, his crying had gotten louder and more hysterical.

"He has a fever, and I need to take him home, but I don't want to leave you alone. How long until Severus gets here?"

"It's okay, Ginny. Take him home. I'm sure I will be just fine until Severus gets here. It should only be about two hours until he has finished his last two classes at Hogwarts. I'm sure James will do better once he is in more familiar surroundings."

Ginny looked at her sternly, "Promise me you will not get up. Only bathroom visits until Severus gets here. Understand?"

"Yes, Ma'am," Hermione replied sarcastically.

"I'm serious, Hermione"

Hermione sighed, "I promise, Gin. Now take that little guy home and see if you can make him feel better."

-ooOOoo-

Hermione decided to read a book until Severus arrived, and she pulled out the battered copy of _Your Magical Pregnancy_ that was on-loan from Ginny. She flipped to the section on breastfeeding, and started reading. She had only made it through the first ten pages when she felt a sudden back pain, then shifted slightly.

As she shifted, she felt a dampness in her knickers. "Well, damn...I wet myself again," she huffed as she lifted herself slowly off of the sofa. It wasn't the first time that her bladder hadn't been cooperative during the pregnancy, and it seemed to happen more and more often. Although she promised Ginny she wouldn't get up except to go to the loo, she really wanted to change her knickers and jeans.

She slowly walked towards her bedroom, wincing slightly with the back pain that seemed to be even worse than when Ginny was there. She dug through her closet trying to find the comfortable pair of maternity sweatpants that she sometimes slept in. As she reached towards the back of the closet, she felt another sharp pain, and then another gush of fluid. And this time she knew she had not wet herself.

"No, no, no...it's too soon," she rubbed her belly gently. "You're not ready, and mummy isn't either."

It was only as she started to strip off her soiled clothes that she realised the fluid wasn't urine, or even her water breaking. It was blood, and not just a little, but a lot.

"Oh, God...I need Severus," she mumbled to herself as she tried to dig her wand out of her soiled jeans.

She didn't want to move for fear of hurting the baby or causing the bleeding to increase, so she mustered all of her concentration to send her Patronus to him.

She climbed in the bed and waited for him to either floo in or send his own Patronus. After waiting for a few minutes, she knew that he had not received it since she had not gotten a response. She was almost drained of magic from the first Patronus, but she managed to send another before she felt depleted.

She was starting to have chills, and she knew that wasn't a good sign. She tried keeping her eyes open until help arrived, but she just couldn't fight the heaviness in her eyes. She closed them slowly, hoping that Severus would be there in time.

* * *

_**A/N...Sorry for the cliffie! Well, no I'm not. ;)**_

_**Hopefully I haven't squicked anyone out with the blood and stuff, but I want all of the pregnancy chapters to be realistic. I've based many of them either from personal experience or that of friends. For those who've never been pregnant...yes, you really do pee all the time, have constant back aches near the end, and swollen ankles are common as well. Pregnancy ain't glamourous, people :)**_


	21. Chapter 20

_**The usual disclaimer applies. I own nothing and make nothing.**_

_**A/N...I was going to wait to post until tomorrow, but to leave a cliffie like that, that would just be cruel ;)**_

* * *

Chapter 20

Life or Death

Severus had just finished assigning a potion to the third years when he saw Minerva standing in his doorway. He opened his mouth to question her, but before he could, he heard her stern voice, "Class dismissed. Now!"

As the confused class quickly left, he turned around towards her thunderously, "What gives you the right to dismiss my class, Minerva?"

"I earned that right when I received a frantic Patronus from Hermione, after you failed to respond to the one she sent you first."

He visably paled, "Is she okay?"

"No, she is not. My floo has an open outside connection, Severus." But he was gone before she even finished the sentence.

-ooOOoo-

As Severus stepped out of the floo in Hermione's flat, he noticed immediately how unnaturally quiet it was.

"Hermione?" He looked around the room for her, and then noticed the open bedroom door.

He gasped when he noticed her pale, unconscious body lying on the bed. He paled further as he noticed the trail of blood leading from the closet to the bed. He gently put his hands on her neck, trying to find a pulse. He was thankful to find it quickly, even if it was faint.

He gently picked her up and walked towards the floo as quickly as he could. His mind was racing as he stepped into the floo and called out, "St. Mungo's." He only hoped he was not too late, for either of them.

-ooOOoo-

Severus sat in the waiting area, drinking his third cup of coffee. His eyes were glistening with the tears he fought to hold back. The healers had taken her to the surgery ward more than an hour ago, and he still didn't know if she was okay, or if their daughter was okay. They had asked him so many questions after they took her back, and he was ashamed he didn't know most of the answers.

"_When did this happen? How long ago did the bleeding start?"_

"_Do you know her blood type? Does she have any allergies?"_

There were many more questions about her health, and his answer for all of them had been "I don't know." He just did not know her well enough to answer any of it, and he had felt so helpless.

He shook his head sadly as he thought about the plans he had for her this evening. He was finally going to tell her that he cared about her, and wanted to be in her life as well as his daughter's. But now he didn't know if he would ever have that chance. As far as he knew, they both could be dead right now. The tears he had fought to hold back were now rolling down his cheeks. He put his head in his hands and gently sobbed as the emotions took over.

He was startled as he felt a hand on his shoulder, he looked up into the reassuring face of Healer Smythwick.

"Mr. Snape, we need to talk," she spoke calmly as she sat down beside him.

He tried to hide his emotions from her as he spoke, but the words still came out slightly broken. "Is Hermione-"

"She is stable at the moment. We were able to do an emergency caesarian section just in time. She had lost a lot of blood and was in shock when you found her. We had to give her several blood transfusions and blood replenishing potions after the surgery. She is still unconscious and heavily sedated, so I can't let you see her just yet."

He had a brief sigh of relief, until he thought about the baby. "What about our daughter?" He asked cautiously, praying that she was okay as well.

"She is as well as she can be, for being a few weeks early. She is small, and still needs some help breathing, but she should be able to go home in a week or so. Would you like to come see her in the special care nursery?"

"Yes, please."

He followed her through several corridors until she opened the door to the nursery. They walked past several small cots until they came to hers. He gasped as he saw her small body sleeping soundly. She was very tiny and very skinny, but with a shock of black hair. She had a tiny little button nose like Hermione, but long fingers and legs like himself. _She was perfect._

"Would you like to hold her?" The nursery healer smiled at him, reassuringly.

He looked slightly panicked as he looked at her, then the healer. "I...I don't know. I've never held a baby before, and she is so small."

"You won't break her," the healer spoke reassuringly. "There are charms and spells in place to help her breathing and maintain her body temperature. Holding her won't interfere with them."

Severus nodded, and the healer gently placed her into his arms. He looked at her face, hardly believing that she could be so comfortable in his arms. She stirred slightly, and he was amazed to see her small eyes looking into his own. They were a deep murky brown, and he knew that she would eventually have his eyes. As he continued to watch her, her eyes slowly closing again, he realised he felt at peace for the first time in his adult life.

-ooOOoo-

Severus sat in the chair beside her bed, wondering when she would finally wake up. The healers had intially told him it would be less than a day, but now it had been almost two days, and she was still unconscious and unresponsive. Not only did her body have to heal, but her magic was almost totally depleted when he had brought her in. The healers had insisted that it was normal to be unconscious until at least some of her magic had returned. He had gently rubbed circles on her hand, hoping that contact would help wake her. She needed to see her daughter, and he needed to see her...healthy again.

He had contacted Minerva yesterday to let her know what had happened, and she had graciously agreed to contact everyone else since he did not want to leave her bedside. She had already had plenty of visitors, including the Potters, Luna Lovegood, and a few of the Weasleys. Despite the tears and pleas from many of the visitors, she remained unresponsive.

It was now late in the evening, and Severus had started to fall asleep in the chair when he felt a gentle squeeze on his hand. He quickly looked up and watched her eyelids start to flutter.

"Severus," she whispered as she opened her eyes slowly and looked at him. She tried to pull herself up, then winced as she felt the pain in her abdomen. It was then that she gasped as she felt her no longer pregnant stomach.

"The baby...I was bleeding. Is...is she okay?" The panic was evident in her voice.

"She will be fine, Hermione. She is the nursery since she is so small," he smiled a genuine smile at her.

Hermione leaned back into the pillow, more relaxed now, and smiled. "Have you seen her yet?"

"Yes, and I was able to hold her as well. She is perfect, Hermione. She has black hair and dark eyes, and she has your nose." Hermione noticed that he sounded every bit the proud father, and she couldn't help but smile back at him.

But she watched him slowly pull his hand away from her,and he began to shift in his seat slightly.

"What is wrong, Severus? What are you not telling me?"

"There is nothing wrong with her, but I had to make some decisions without you, Hermione. The hospital needed to file her birth certificate with the ministry. I...I know you wanted to name her Eleanor, but we never discussed the rest of her name."

"Oh...is that all," she breathed a sigh of relief, "You had me scared at first. What did you put on the birth certificate?"

"Eleanor Anne Snape," he replied quietly. "I did not know whether you wanted her to have your name or mine, but it can be changed later on at the ministry if you are unhappy."

"No...I know we didn't discuss it, but I want her to have your name. You are her father, Severus," she paused for a moment, "Where did you get the name Anne from?"

"It...it was my mother's middle name. I hope that is okay."

Tears started to well up in Hermione's eyes as she thought about the conversation all those months ago with Ginny.

"_Hmm...Eleanor Granger. Not very wizarding, but I do like it. Have you thought about a middle name?"_

_Hermione's smile faltered, and she shook her head. "No, Ginny...and I just can't...not yet. In my family, the babies usually have a middle name from the father's side." Hermione paused for a moment, deep in thought. "I don't know if I even want to give her a middle name."_

She looked up at Severus and simply said, "It's perfect."

* * *

_**A/N...Of course Hermione and the baby will be fine. Snape had a cruel enough life in canon, no way was I going to make it even worse here.**_

_**Most of the caesarian scenes were parallels of the birth of my oldest son. I didn't have placenta previa, but I did have delivery complications and an emergency c-section. We both almost died, and this has been a bit of a release writing this after having gone through it almost 12 years ago. I don't think Snape is too OOC with his emotions in this chapter...my husband is not an emotional man, and he sobbed for hours after the birth of our son.**_

_**Anyway, hope this gets me off the hook from the last chapter :)**_


	22. Chapter 21

_**The usual disclaimer applies. I own nothing and make nothing.**_

_**A/N...Just a brief warning that some may view this as OOC, but I'll explain more at the end.**_

* * *

Chapter 21

The Future

Hermione slowly opened her eyes when she noticed the light in her room. She quickly glanced over to the chair beside the bed, and was disappointed that Severus was not there.

"I'm sorry I woke you. I tried to cast a _lumos_ as quietly as I could," Healer Smythwick said with a smile. "If you are looking for Mr. Snape, he stepped out a few minutes ago to get some coffee. He should be back at any moment."

"Thank you," Hermione replied quietly. She was relieved to know that he was still at St. Mungo's, and that he had not left her. She paused for a moment before speaking again, "When can I see my daughter? I was hoping that I could breastfeed her, but now that she is in the special care nursery, is that even an option?"

"Yes...it is very much still an option. Babies eat very little the first few days, and she has been bottle-fed so far, but it shouldn't be that difficult for either of you to pick it up, now. And as for visiting her, I was just about to do a quick examination to see how you were healing. If the pain has gone down enough to walk, and your blood pressure is high enough, you can see her today."

Hermione glanced down as the healer looked at her incision, and was surprised it was only a thin pink line. She gasped slightly when her abdomen was gently pushed on, but other than that, there was not much pain.

"Well, it looks like you can visit your daughter today. Just make sure there is someone available to assist you in getting there. I don't think you should be on your own for several days."

"Thank you," Hermione said excitedly as the healer walked out the door.

-ooOOoo-

Hermione put down the book, then glared again at the empty chair by the bed. Healer Smythwick had told her he just left for coffee, but that had been more than an hour ago. She had tried reading a book about breastfeeding that the healer had given her, but she could only concentrate on the pages for a minute or two before she would stare again at the door or empty seat.

_Was he overwhelmed? Did he not want to be here?_ All sorts of thoughts went through her mind, and it didn't help that her emotions were out of control. Her healer had told her that she would be very emotional for a while after the birth, but this was ridiculous. She wiped the tears out of the corner of her eyes, and then tried once again to read the book.

She had finally gotten through the first ten pages when she heard a tentative knock on the door.

She straightened her hospital robes, then quickly spoke, "Come in."

She couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief when Severus came in and tentatively sat beside her.

"What is wrong? Is it the baby?" He spoke gently, a look of concern on his face.

"No...nothing is wrong. Eleanor is fine, as far as I know. I am allowed to go see her, but I haven't yet because I am not allowed to go by myself."

"Then why have you been crying?"

"It...it's just," she stopped as she realised she was crying again. "Stupid hormones," she muttered to herself. "It's stupid really. Healer Smythwick had said you left to get coffee, but when you didn't return, I just assumed-," she stopped again to wipe the tears from her face.

"That I wasn't coming back," he shook his head in understanding.

"Yes. I'm sorry- I'm such a mess right now," she smiled feebly as she blotted the tears with the edge of her robes.

"You were being examined by the healer when I returned, so I left to talk to Minerva. I thought you might be asleep again when I returned. I'm sorry if I caused you to worry."

"It's okay," she paused for a minute as she realised exactly what he had said, "Oh gods, your classes! I had forgotten you have classes to teach. Of course you needed to talk to Minerva! Who has been covering your classes?"

"Minerva has the past two days, but that is why I needed to talk to her. She is trying to see if Slughorn can come back until the end of term, and if not, try to find a temporary substitute."

Hermione looked confused. "The end of term? But that is four more weeks. Why would you need a substitute that long?"

Severus stiffened slightly, "I thought you would like me to help with the baby. I apologise if that was presumptuous of me."

"Oh, of course I would like you to help," she said quickly. She paused, then glanced over at him with a smile. "We really do need to talk, don't we?"

He returned her smile tentatively, "Yes we do."

She pulled herself to a sitting position in the bed, wincing just slightly at the discomfort. "I don't really know where to start, Severus. I feel like you were thrown into this without much choice in the matter, and for that I am truly sorry. I really would like you to be an involved father to her if that is what you truly want."

"I really do want this Hermione, but-," he fidgeted slightly in his chair, adjusting his robes, "I want more. I don't want to just see her weekends, holidays and summers. I want to be there when she takes her first steps, and when she has a nightmare in the middle of the night. I don't want to be a part time father."

"Are you saying you want to move in together? Be a family?" She was totally stunned.

"Yes. How can I be totally involved if I am not there all the time?"

Hermione gnawed at her lip, and the tears started to pool in her eyes. "I...I don't know." She paused for a second, realising it was now or never to tell him how she really felt about everything. "I want you there, Severus. Somehow in the past few months, I have started to care about you...probably too much. I don't think I could live with you knowing that you are just settling, though. It wouldn't be fair to either of us."

"Settling?" He sounded exasperated. "Why would you think I am settling? I wouldn't even suggest this if I didn't care about you, Hermione."

"Harry told me about Lily...about the memories. I can't be second best, Severus. As much as I want you to be there for our daughter, I don't think I could live with you if there was no possibility of a future. It would be too hard." She paused again, "I want more than friendship. I don't want to live together unless there is a future for us."

Severus muttered something under his breath that sounded like swear words. "Leave it to Potter to not know when to keep his mouth shut!" He took several deep breaths, trying to calm himself down. "Yes, I was in love with Lily. But when I woke up in St. Mungo's after the final battle, I had three long months of recovery with nothing to do but think. I had very few visitors since no one knew of my duplicity at first. I thought about my feelings for Lily, and I thought about my future. I loved Lily, and I think in her own way...she loved me. But it was never more than friendship, and it took me twenty years to finally realise it. Hermione, when we...were together," and at this, he blushed slightly, "I was already over Lily. You were never a replacement."

Severus noticed she had a questioning look on her face, but he continued on. "I know you have questions, but please let me finish. I know that I didn't have those memories when we first started working together, but I saw you differently even before I recovered them. Now that I think about it, I think things started to change when you were still my apprentice. You were the only person who made an effort to get to know me. When you would ask how I was doing, you meant it...it wasn't just small talk. I know I never told you this, but I considered you a friend by the time your apprenticeship was finished. By the time we were working together, I was concerned about you and the baby; probably more than a friend should be. Then I found out Eleanor was mine, and I felt like I was given a second chance at life. When I found you unconscious," and at this his voice started to break slightly, "I was so scared. I don't want to miss my second chance, Hermione. I want you and Eleanor in my life...and I would like us, all three, to live together. Hogwarts would be easier for me, but I'll leave the location up to you."

Hermione thought back to the beginning of their conversation, and then her eyebrows rose as she processed it all. "Wait...are you saying that you would want us to get married?"

"Yes. Eventually, but I think we need to get to know each other better, first. I know we are doing this out of the usual order, but maybe we can go to dinner, or a bookstore," at this he gave her a playful smirk, "and get to know each other better. Maybe Miss Lovegood or the Potters could eventually watch the baby so we could go out, just the two of us."

Hermione smiled at him, and despite her tear-stained face she was ecstatic. "I would love that, Severus."

He leaned towards the bed and gently grasped her hand, pulling it towards his face. He gently kissed her palm and smiled back at her. "Would you like to meet our daughter now?"

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_**A/N...Okay, first of all, I am not the best at writing conversation, so this chapter was very difficult for me. I personally don't see the conversation between Hermione and Severus as OOC, but I know that some people think an emotional Snape is OOC, so thus the warning.**_

_**Just two more chapters and this story will be complete. Thank you for all the lovely reviews, and keep them coming!**_


	23. Chapter 22

_**The usual disclaimer applies...**_

_**A/N...Well, this is it! The last chapter before the epilogue. Enjoy!**_

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Chapter 22

Going Home

Hermione held onto Severus's hand and walked slowly down the corridor towards the nursery. She had to pause every few steps due to the pain she was still experiencing from the caesarian section. Severus opened the nursery door for her, and they slowly walked past the first few cots until they reached the one at the end.

Her eyes lit up as she glanced down at her daughter. She was even more beautiful than Severus had described, and she wanted to pick her up so badly that it hurt. She looked towards the healer, and gently asked, "May I?"

"Of course," the healer replied with a smile on her face. "Sit down first, and I will hand her to you. It is much easier to do it this way since you are probably still very sore from your surgery."

Hermione winced slightly as she sat down, and gently held her arms out as the healer handed her her daughter. She gently stroked her cheek, and watched as her eyes slowly opened. "My beautiful Eleanor."

She studied every part of her daughter, taking in all the parts that came from her, and all that came from Severus. She had very long fingers and legs, and her hair was as black as Severus's. But it was her eyes that she was drawn to...they were very dark, but definitely not blue like most newborns. She looked up at Severus, smiling slightly, "I think she is going to have your eyes. They are already so dark."

He reached down and stroked her head gently. "I believe you are right. And I am very thankful that she seems to have your nose."

They both continued to study her, until she started squirming and began to cry. Hermione looked panicked for a moment and looked up pleadingly at the healer. "Is she okay?"

The healer watched the baby, and then gently walked over to Hermione. "She is fine. She is just trying to let you know that she is hungry. She has been fed with a bottle so far, but there is a private room if you would like to try to nurse her."

Hermione glanced at Severus nervously, and he gave her a timid smile. She looked back at the healer, more confidently, "I would love to...but I...I'm not sure exactly what to do. I know it is natural, but with her being premature, I am a bit nervous."

As the healer lifted the baby off of Hermione, they started walking towards the room. Hermione stopped when she noticed that Severus was not following her. "Aren't you coming?"

"I...wasn't sure you wanted me to follow," he replied, uncertainty in his voice.

"Please, Severus," she gently grasped his hand, and they walked into the room together.

-ooOOoo-

Hermione listened patiently as Healer Smythwick went over her discharge instructions. Although she was healed enough to already be discharged, she was waiting until tomorrow so she could leave with Eleanor at the same time. There was absolutely no way that she was leaving the hospital without her daughter, and she had practically begged her healer to keep her an extra day. She was still amazed that Eleanor would only be staying for one more day, when she had originally been told it would be at least a week. But Eleanor was a fighter, and she was already breathing on her own and nursing well after just four days.

"Just remember that, even though you are almost totally healed physically, your magic has still not returned enough to apparate yet, or to perform any taxing spells. In fact, I recommend trying to avoid using magic for at least another five weeks. If you need to travel, you will have to use either side-along apparition or the floo."

Hermione nodded in understanding, then jumped slightly when she heard the knock on the door.

Luna looked timidly into the room before speaking, "Is now a good time for Ginny and I to visit?"

Hermione looked questioningly at the healer, then motioned for the girls to come in. "I was just getting my discharge instructions for tomorrow, but if you don't mind listening, you can come in."

Healer Smythwick continued on with the instructions, "Also, it would probably be easier if you had help these first few weeks as well. It is very tempting to do magic if there is no one available to help you. Am I correct in my assumption that these are the same two friends that helped you during your pregnancy?" She smiled at Luna and Ginny, before returning her gaze to Hermione.

"Yes, we are," Ginny spoke confidently. "We will make sure that she follows all of the instructions, and we will both be available to her when she needs us."

"Great," the healer walked towards the door, turning once again to Hermione as she prepared to leave. "If you don't have any more questions, I will see you tomorrow when I discharge you."

"I think I've got it all, thank you."

Ginny watched the healer shut the door, then quickly turned towards Hermione. "So where is Severus...I thought he would be here right now."

Hermione gnawed on her lip for a minute before answering. She had not talked to Ginny or Luna since she and Severus had the big 'relationship' talk the day prior. Although she wasn't too sure of their reactions, she did want to tell them the truth.

"He is at Hogwarts, making changes to his quarters. Or I guess 'our quarters' would probably be more accurate now."

"What?" Ginny exclaimed somewhat loudly, although Luna just stood there with an unsurprised smile on her face.

"Severus is taking leave the rest of term to help me with the baby, and we will be staying with him at Hogwarts."

"What is going to happen when term is over, though, Hermione? Have you even discussed the future? What about his feelings for Lily?" Ginny spoke sternly, although there was a hint of concern in her voice.

"We had a long talk yesterday, Gin. He told me he did not want to be a part time father, and wanted us to raise Eleanor together. So I told him that I did not want to live together unless there was a future for us. I told him that I didn't want either of us to settle, and that I didn't want to be his second choice."

"Well, what did he say?" Ginny said exasperatedly.

Hermione looked at Luna, then back at Ginny and grinned. "Well, did you not hear me say that he left to get our rooms ready?"

Luna was the first to speak, "Oh, that is wonderful Hermione. I just knew that he cared about you, even before you did."

"Are you going to get married?" Ginny looked at her questioningly, the concern still in her tone of voice.

"Well...probably...eventually. We would like to get to know each other better first, and not jump into marriage just yet. We've done so much out of the usual order that we would like to at least do this step correctly."

"I'm so happy things are working out for you, Hermione," Ginny said softly. Hermione smiled brightly as she realised how true Ginny's words actually were.

-ooOOoo-

Severus knocked gently on the door, and gradually pushed it in. He was surprised when he not only saw Hermione, but a small cot pushed up against her bed. The cot was empty, and he switched his gaze to the hospital bed. Hermione was nursing Eleanor, and he couldn't help but watch her in amazement.

Hermione glanced up, and then blushed slightly when she realised Severus had been watching her. "How long have you been standing there?" She had blushed a little as she spoke gently to him.

"Only a few minutes," he replied quietly. "I wasn't expecting to see her in your room this morning, but it looks like she has finally become proficient at nursing." He also blushed slightly as he spoke.

"The nursery healers wanted me to spend a few hours with her before we were both discharged, in case I had any questions or problems. And Healer Smythwick just had me sign my discharge papers, so we are free to go now. I was just waiting for you." Hermione smiled as she spoke.

She watched as Severus shrunk all of her clothing, and then put everything in the pockets in his robes. Everything had gone so well the past couple of days, and she started to wonder if she was still asleep and dreaming. It still did not seem real that Severus not only wanted their daughter, but he wanted to be with her as well. Her reminiscing was interrupted when she felt him pick up Eleanor.

"Minerva will be meeting us at the gates. Are you ready to go home?"

_Home_, she smiled as she thought about the way he had phrased it. _He did not say Hogwarts, nor did he call it his quarters...he said home._

"Yes, Severus, I am."

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_**A/N...Hope you have enjoyed this! I hope this chapter doesn't seem too rushed...I've tried to build this slowly, but this just seemed a natural ending to me. I just felt that too many unnessasary words would bog it down.**_

_**This story is complete except for the epilogue, and I have really enjoyed writing it. Thank you for all the awesome reviews, and keep them coming. As soon as I get the epilogue up (hopefully within a week), I will get back to Prisoner 5273 (I promise).**_


	24. Epilogue

_**The usual disclaimer applies...**_

_**A/N...This is it...the end! Enjoy!**_

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Epilogue

Severus gently opened the bedroom door, and watched Hermione nurse their daughter. He had always found it mesmerizing, and would usually watch until Hermione was finished. He walked quietly behind her and gave her a gentle kiss on her neck as she turned her head towards him.

"So how long were you standing there this time?" She smiled at him, then covered herself up before putting their daughter in the small cot beside their bed.

"Not too long," he returned her smile and then looked at the sleeping baby in the cot.

"I really don't see why you are still so fascinated. I would have thought that you had your fill watching the other two." She leaned back into the bed, watching him as he watched their daughter sleep.

"Yes...but that was almost eight years ago. I just want to remember everything while she is so little." He sighed, then turned his gaze from the baby to his wife. "They grow up so fast. I still can't believe that Eleanor's sorting is tomorrow."

Hermione smiled at him as he climbed into the bed beside her. "So do you still think she will be sorted into Slytherin? I think that perhaps she might be put in Ravenclaw."

"I could see Ravenclaw, as smart as she is," he replied thoughtfully, "but I still think she will be sorted into Slytherin. She definitely will not be put in Gryffindor. I'm afraid she is too much like me to be in Gryffindor. But as much as it pains me to say it, I do think Simon will be sorted into Gryffindor. He has too much of you in him to be a Slytherin."

She chuckled lightly, then glanced at the baby sleeping quietly beside them. "Then maybe we should hope that Athena is in Ravenclaw, if you think that the other two will be in Slytherin and Gryffindor." She gave him a devious smirk then slowly started untucking his shirt and undoing the buttons. "Maybe," she started kissing his stomach, "we should make sure not to leave out Hufflepuff." She slowly started unbuttoning his trousers, and trailed the kisses even lower. "It would hardly be fair to leave out a house."

He flipped her over quickly and started working on her buttons. "A Snape in Hufflepuff? Just the thought is blasphemy." He started kissing her on her neck, slowly working down towards her skirt. "If you really want a fourth, I am fine with it Hermione. I just thought you might want to wait until Athena is a little older."

"Well, there isn't even two years between Eleanor and Simon, and I really would like Athena to have a sibling close in age as well." She finished unbuttoning his trousers and continued, "You really are okay with having another?"

"Yes," his voice was muffled as he gently kissed her inner thigh. "Now would seem as good a time as any to work on it," he mumbled as he slowly pulled her knickers down.

-ooOOoo-

Hermione looked down from the dais and watched the first years enter the Great Hall. She couldn't help but smile as she watched Eleanor take a seat. She was taller than most of the first year girls, and had a willowy build like her father. Her eyes and hair were the same color as his as well, but her facial features were just like her own. She was a perfect mix of both of her parents, although her personality and temperament were like Severus's.

She listened as the Headmaster made his usual beginning of term announcements, and she stood momentarily when the faculty was introduced. She started to listen to the Sorting Hat's song, when she heard the Headmaster quietly clear his throat. He leaned in towards her, and gently spoke in her ear, "I'm still convinced that she will be a Slytherin. What do you think, Professor Snape?"

She quirked one eyebrow, and turned toward him with a smirk on her face, "I think not, Headmaster Snape. She will definitely be sorted into Ravenclaw."

They listened to the long list of first years, occasionally making their guesses as to which house they would be put in. They both paused when Professor Flitwick called their daughter's name.

"Eleanor Snape"

Hermione watched as she fidgeted slightly in the chair, a nervous habit that she got from her father. It was only a few seconds later when the hat yelled, _"Slytherin."_

She glanced up at her husband, and noticed his only reaction was a faint smirk. But she knew that he would definitely bring it up again when they were in their quarters.

She looked down at the house tables, and immediately picked out her daughter. She had already found a friend to talk to, and if Hermione had to guess, it probably was about potions. Eleanor had been fascinated with potions since she was a toddler, and probably couldn't help it since her father was the past Potions Master, and her mother the current Potions Mistress.

Hermione couldn't help but smile when she looked at her daughter. It was difficult to believe that she was now a first year, and even more difficult to believe that she and Severus had been together that long. They lived together for a year, getting to know each other before they finally got married. And Simon was a happy surprise the year after that.

The only disappointment in her life with Severus had been that her parents were not involved, but that had been her choice rather than that of her parents. When she and Severus finally were able to go to Australia to try the potion on them, they were surprised to find out that Monica and Wendell Jenkins had adopted a little boy and had a new family of their own. Hermione had made the difficult decision to leave them without ever restoring their memories.

Hermione glanced over at Severus, and couldn't help the tears that were slowly forming in her eyes as she reminisced. Her life was much different than she had ever thought it would be, but she would not change anything about it. She was happily married with three children..._maybe four_, her mind added, and had a job she loved. And to think, it all started with having a drink at a pub.

Severus looked over at her, and grimaced when he saw the tears in her eyes. "Are you okay?" He asked tenderly. He gently grasped her hand and helped her up from her seat.

"Yes, just reminiscing." She replied with a smile as they headed towards the doors of the Great Hall.

He kissed her head, and then gently tucked his arm around her. "To our quarters?"

"Yes, definitely," she said seductively as they walked towards their rooms.

_-fin-_

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_**A/N...Thank you for reading this...I hope you enjoyed it!**_

_**I tried to tie up as many loose ends as possible in the epilogue, but forgive me if I left something out. I am now going to try to finish Prisoner 5273 as soon as I take a day or two breather to recover.**_

_**Thank you for all the kind suggestions and reviews!**_


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